In the Rain
by Melfina Lupin
Summary: epilogue up! Rogue goes out in the rain to seek some peace away from the Institute. But in the park she runs into somebody she never thought she see so soon. Rating bumped to strong PG-15
1. A Meeting of Enemies

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In the Rain by Yui

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Author's note: I recently got hooked on watching x-men: evolution and I really like it! But I was wondering about Gambit. Where was he? I was watching an episode with my friend on evening and there he was - Gambit (Remy) in all his Cajun glory! **drools** 

I was so happy! ^_^ I wanted to write a fic about Rogue and Gambit because they are perfect for each other. ^_^ But be warned! If you like Jean, don't read it! I hate her so I bash her a _lot_!!! **sheepish smile** Happy Reading!

BTW, I didn't write in Kurt, Remy, or Rogue's accent. That would take so much effort and I can hardly do it but I tried! **sobs** Just add them in when your reading, s'il vous plait!! ^_^ Oh, and I added a couple lyrics from Garbage on a whim. ^_^ And words in ( ) are the English translation of some French dialogue.

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Chapter One

A Meeting of Enemies

Outside the Xavier Institute, a dreary rain fell down from a sulky overcast to the even drearier landscape. For the time being all outside activities of the school had been moved to a dryer spot within the building or had been cancelled altogether. It was not an easy thing to teach all the students at once inside the institution. The building was big but not big enough for ice blasts or hot firewalls! Rogue was one of the luckier ones who class had been called off. So, instead of hearing a boring lecture about the importance of working as a team during a battle, she was locked away from the world in the room she shared with Kitty. 

One side of the room was neatly kept and that belonged to Kitty Pride. The bed was neatly made and not a single article of clothing littered the floor. On the other side, however, there was chaos and this side belonged to Rogue. The bed was disheveled and appeared as if a wild animal had slept on it; an accumulation of books, CDs, and loose papers were piled around the bed like a wall, and dark clothes had been tossed around like trash.

Meanwhile, Rogue's radio was blasting the melancholy arias of Garbage as she read a comic book on her black satin covered bed. Well, she really wasn't reading the book. Blindly, she stared at the vivid pictures of the vivacious women and brawny men, too deep in thought to pay attention to the plot. She thought about Scott and how much she liked him. She also thought about Jean Grey, thinking she didn't deserve Scott at all. A snob like her didn't deserve anyone who was kind and gentle like Scott Summers. What did he see in Jean anyway? She wasn't pretty. She was too tall, thin, and her hair was too _perfect_. No one was allowed to have hair like that unless you were in a L'Oreal commercial. Plus, she had no flaws whatsoever! That really pissed Rogue off. Everyone fell for Jean's 'I'm little miss perfect' trap but Rogue was the only one to see how much a snotty bitch that girl really was.

"Oh, she really pisses me off!" Rogue screamed in frustration as she flung her comic book across the room. "I hate her! Why does everyone love her so much? Why is show so damn perfect? It makes me sick! Arg!!" She slammed her fists into the closest pillow she could find to vent her anger, imaging it was really Jean's flawless face. "She's such a bitch!"

After a moment, Rogue's ire calmed down and she caught her breath, running a gloved hand through her brown and white hair. There was no point in being upset on her free day. It was a lovely Saturday afternoon and Rogue had the day to do whatever she wanted. She didn't have to see Jean in any lessons or run into Scott and share an embarrassing moment by becoming all numb and reddening like a tomato. She didn't have to think about the couple and ruin her day. And, best of all, she didn't have to worry about any lesson plans!

Rogue climbed off her bed and knelt down by a disordered pile of her belongings, trying to find something to take her mind off her troubles. She rummaged through the paper, finding something to read, when she came across a French book. She recalled how much she hated that language and frowned in displeasure. She also remembered that she owed the teacher some homework that was way overdue. Rogue sighed, settling down to rummage idly through the thick book. 

'_Bonjour, chère_.' Someone had said that to her. Rogue paused, wondering why that suddenly popped into her head. She suddenly remembered who it was and her heart began to race unexpectedly. It had been a young man who said that to her with an irresistible accent that made her insides melt into mush. He had spoke French to her and he had been a mutant, too, and almost blew her hand off with his charged card. He was one of the Acolytes but, God, he was hot! The first time she saw him, she was been strangely enthralled by the mysterious man and his thick and unusual accent. It wasn't the true French accent of dropping the 'H's and choking on the 'R's. It was more like the Cajun accent of Louisiana. She didn't hear much southern accents up in New York and just thinking about it made her miss her home in Mississippi for a moment. 

Biting her lip, she pushed that thought aside as well as her French book, and grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper. Since she had the time and the privacy, she wanted to sketch that handsome boy on paper. She was a pretty good artist. By that time, she had done a sketch of Kitty and one of Kurt and Logan. She knew that she could pull it off even with the image of his face already vague in her mind. 

Rogue closed her eyes and recalled with all her might the young man's untamed carmine hair, the stubble he had covering his chin, his handsome, angular face, his cocky smirk, and his strange eyes-black where the white was suppose to be with flaming red pupils. Demon eyes. She remembered those most of all with a shiver. It seemed that his eyes had enchanted her the most. They are peculiar but very beautiful.

Rogue vaguely wondered what his body looked like so she could draw his neck and shoulders too. The drawling was rough, barely done when she hardly even noticed that someone was looking over her shoulder. Somehow Kurt and Kitty had come inside her room, taken a sit on her bed, without Rogue having the faintest clue that they were there.

"Oh, he's cute!" Kitty exclaimed out of nowhere, causing Rogue to jump and cover the picture immediately. Her face reddened, slightly embarrassed where her train of thought had been going and that she had been caught.

"_Kitty_?! God, you scared me half to death! What the hell are you doing spying on me!?"

"We came to see if you wanted to come with us to the movies," Kurt replied, sitting on the other side of Rogue.

"_Kurt_!? How long have you guys been here!" Rogue shouted in incredulity, her hands shooting out to cover her unfinished sketch. "Why didn't you knock or something?!"

"We _did_ but you were too _preoccupy_," Kurt replied with a sneaky smile, his eyes moving down to the picture that Rogue concealed. "Who were you drawing anyway?"

"Nobody you know!" Rogue snapped at the mutant.

"He looks totally familiar though," Kitty said, trying to get a glimpse of the picture again. "Oh, let me look! Please? That guy is, like, a knockout! Really!"

"Oh, come on!" Kurt frowned, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Stop drooling over a picture, Kitty!"

"What? Are you jealous or something, Kurt," the younger girl shot back with a sweet smile. He just gave a heavy sigh of irritation and rolled his eyes heavenward. "Rogue, you're a really good artist!" 

"Thanks, Kitty" she murmured in reply.

"Now let me see it again! I've seen him somewhere before! I swear!"

"Oh la la! I think Rogue has a crush on someone!" Kurt said, smiling from ear to ear. "Rogue and Mr. Mysterious sitting in a tree…"

"Knock it off, fuzz ball!" Rogue interrupted, pushing the German boy off her bed. "I do not have a crush on anyone! Now get out of my room. Both of you!"

"You don't want to see a movie with us?" Kitty asked, her eyes growing big and pleading.

"No!"

"Fine!" Kurt said. "Come on, Kitty. I bet Rogue plans to do something with her new boyfriend!"

Kitty laughed, climbing off Rogue's bed. "Well, see ya later, Rogue!"

"Bye, Mr. Mysterious!" Kurt said in a high voice, blowing a kiss to the picture and batting his eyes.

Rogue frowned darkly. "Get _out_!" When they were gone, she sighed and looked down at her drawing. Her thoughts circled around the mysterious mutant for a moment. Then there was a hard knock at the door above the sounds of the music. Only when it turned into pounding did Rogue finally wake from her contemplation. It was Miss Perfect, Jean Grey, who was knocking at Rogue's door. The very thought of that stupid bitch made her serene moment shatter into pieces. 

« I came to cut you up   
I came to knock you down   
I came around to tear your little world apart   
I cam to shut you up   
I came to drag you down   
I came around to tear your little world apart   
And break your soul apart »  


"What do you want?!" Rogue shouted over the volume of her music. She was already annoyed that she had been disturbed once already. Jeez, it was her first free day in a week and people couldn't get it through their thick skulls that she needed time by herself!

"Rogue, will you please turn your music down?" Jean was yelling out in the hallway above the loud music. "Some people are _trying_ to study!" 

"Then get some ear plugs and leave me alone!" Rogue shouted back resentfully. She jumped up and ran to her radio, only to turn up the volume. Jean yelled some more but it was too heard to hear was she was saying. 

"Rogue, quit being stupid! Turn your music down or else _I'll_ do it for you!"

Rogue rolled her eyes in exasperation and challenged, "I'd like to see you try, you spineless Yankee!" 

« You burn and burn to get under my skin   
You've gone too far now I won't give in »

She wasn't surprised to see her bedroom door start to tremble then. Jean was using her powers to unlock the door. Rogue frowned but let the older girl do whatever the hell she wanted. The door swung open quickly and there stood Jean, fuming with anger in the doorway. Immediately Jean turned off the radio with her mind powers and glared venomously at Rogue, who was slipping on her black combat boots.

"Rogue, why can't you respect peoples' need for silence and play your music at a normal level for once?" Jean asked from the door. 

"Why don't you respect my privacy and get the hell out of my room?" Rogue straightened up and ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her heavily painted eyes.

"Rogue, there is no need to talk like that," Jean admonished, frowning as if she was a mother.

"Cut the goody-goody bullshit, killjoy. Your not my mother so don't tell me what the hell to do." Rogue put on her long black coat and stuffed her drawing into her pocket along with her pencil. She would finish it somewhere else in peace.

"Rogue, you are such a brat sometimes!"

"Piss off, Grey," she grumbled angrily, brushing pass Jean as she walk into the hallway. In a second Jean's telekinesis pushed her against the wall. "You, bitch!" Rogue seethed, impulsively focusing all her energy into searching her mind for a power she had absorbed. Red-hot beams immediately shot out of Rogue's emerald-colored orbs and hit Jean square in the chest, knocking her off her feet.

"That's enough, Rogue!" the large, blue-haired Logan shouted as he ran down the hall and grabbing Rogue before she could pounce on Jean. Drawn to the commotion like a fly to light, Scott was also with Logan but was by Jean side in a matter of seconds. It was really pathetic. 

"Let me go!" Rogue shouted, trying to shake Logan off of her but the older man was much too strong to be pushed away by a sixteen-year-old girl. "She started it!"

"Jean, are you all right?" Scott was kneeling by the stationary girl who was lying on the floor, her shirt almost burnt off. She wasn't moving and her eyes were closed. Scott was holding her hands in his and was trying to wake her up. Like it or not, tears of longing quickly filled Rogue's eyes at the site.

"I said, let me go, Logan!" Rogue screamed as loud as she could.

"Just settle down, Stripes," Logan told her as she began to kick and punch him like a possessed woman.

"Put me down!" The floor began to tremble as another stolen power of Rogue's appeared. Logan lost his balance and she had a chance to escape. Without looking back, she was gone in a matter of seconds, running down the hallway as fast as she could.

~*~*~*~

Hardly anyone was walking in the rain when Rogue hurried down the city sidewalks, shivering from the chill in the wet air. With her heavy wool coat wrapped tightly around her form for warmth and her hood over her head for protection, she made her way heedlessly down the empty walkway. She didn't care where she was going. She just needed to get away. As she walked, she kept her head down and the soaked hood well over her face so that no one could see her cry. To have someone see her cry would have made her snap. 

Why had everyone been so rude to her? Did they care if her privacy was taken away or if they were being unjust with her? Probably not. They always treated her like she was an outsider. There was no one there that Rogue could relate to. She was the only freak there. 

Of course, she felt bad for dealing with Logan that way. He had always been nice to her as well as Kitty and Kurt. Part of her wanted to go back to apologize to them but part of her made her cautious. No doubt, Scott had informed Professor what had taken place like some sad lapdog and the older man had some punishment for Rogue for her fight with Jean. Rogue would just wait until she cooled down long enough to return home and face the music. Otherwise, she might loose her patience and blow up at Jean again. That thought made her smile through her tears.

Rogue had finally come across the City Park. Only bums and drunks would be inside during a rainstorm but she didn't care; she could take care of herself if the situation arose. The allure of the solitude and peacefulness of the park was too powerful to ignore and she didn't care if she got sick walking in the rain. 

Sniveling miserably to herself, she crossed the street and hurried through the gates of the park. No one was around. Immediately she veered to the right, waking on the wide muddy path and trying to clear her jumbled thoughts. It was peaceful there like she expected it to be and the trees overheard sheltered her from the falling rain. Her wet coat made her shiver though but she didn't mind it. She walked on, getting deeper and deeper into the wooded area. Feeling a bit lonely, she pulled that picture out from her pocket after a while and looked at it as she walked.

Who was that boy?

Moments later, Rogue paused as she saw another piece of paper flutter passed her face. It fell to the muddy ground before her boots, to heavy to stay afloat in the air. She wondered where it came from as she bent over to pick it up carefully. It was thin and rectangular, almost like a card. On one side, there was a beautiful design of swords. When she flipped it over, she saw that it was a Queen of Hearts.

"What in the world?…" Rogue murmured, staring down at the card as if it was from hell.

"_Excuze-moi, mademoiselle_," a gentle voice said from behind Rogue. Instantly she stiffened as if preparing to be attacked and turned around to face whoever it was. "But aren't you going to be polite and say a kind 'thank you'."

Rogue stared in open-mouthed disbelief. "It's you!"

Demon Eyes, the boy in the artwork, grinned smugly as he casually leaned against a large oak tree, not caring if he got wet. His arms were crossed over his chest and his long brown trench coat covered most of his body. But, unlike the first time they meet, he wasn't wearing that black head covering. Rogue just stared in disbelief; her lips partially open in shock as she felt her heart began to race. 

"_Oui, c'est moi_," he murmured softly in French. Rogue felt like melting when she heard that delicious purr in his voice. (Yes, it's me.)

Demon Eyes straightened up, still smiling, and walked over to her. She didn't think to move away or protect herself if he tried to attack her. He was, after all, the enemy. Wasn't he? But he didn't act like he was. He was too relaxed to attack her. Plus he was too charming. And so cute! Rogue couldn't take her eyes off of him. It was just like the first time they had meet.

"No one here but Gambit," he said, watching her look for the other Acolytes, "and Gambit ain't gonna hurt you none. But what is wrong, chère?" he spoke as he drew closer to view her pale, wet face. "You are crying." (chère is dear)

"It ain't anything," Rogue snapped back, waking from her speechless trance. "Don't worry your head over it."

"Bien, alors," Demon Eyes replied smoothly (all right then). His unusual eyes moved from Rogue's face to her chest and then passed her hips to her legs and back again to rest on her hands. The jerk was checking her out just she was too flustered to stop him. "Damn pervert," she growled instead, glowing red and crossing her arms over her chest to protect herself from further inspection.

He gave a smug half-smile, cocking an eyebrow. "_Quoi que_. _Vous êtes trop beau ne pas être regardé mais votre grand manteau ne vous fait pas la justice, mon joli_," he murmured in French. (Whatever. You are too beautiful not to be looked at but your big coat does not do you justice, my pretty.)

"None of that French crap," Rogue told him impatiently. "I can't understand you if your making some rude comment or not."

He just smiled and said, "Gambit is not. Gambit is playing nicely with you."

"Do you always talk in third person?"

"Not always."

Rogue frowned and dropped her eyes to her hands and saw that she was holding one of his cards. It was his, wasn't it? 

"This is yours, right?" Rogue held it up for him. "Take it. I don't want it."

"It's a gift from Gambit to you," he replied, gently pushing her gloved hand away. 

Rogue glanced at it again. "It's the Queen of Hearts. How romantic."

He shrugged. "Gambit would like too see this, if you don't mind, chère." Before she could react, he took the rumpled sketch from her numb hand and brought it too his face. Oh, God, no!

"It's nothing…"Rogue muttered, her face glowing in embarrassment. "I was just…"

"So you are an artist," he said softly as if to himself. "And a good one at that." He looked up at her and grinned, his red on black eyes twinkling with amusement. "So what were you just doing that you had the urge to draw Gambit's face?"

God, I just want to dig a hole and crawl inside, Rogue thought desperately. "It ain't nothing," she repeated firmly again. She reached out and took the artwork from his grip, stuffing it in her pocket. When she looked back at him, he was staring at her and saying nothing.

His intense watch made Rogue very self-conscious of herself. "What is it?" she snapped irritably.

"It ain't nothing," he replied, mocking Rogue. "What if Gambit wishes to draw your face later on? I need to memorize it, non?" He stepped closer, raising his hand to run his fingers down her face. She gasped at his intention and stepped away quickly.

"No! Don't touch me!" 

He stopped, hand in mid-air. "I see now. You must be that untouchable one that Xavier has," he said coolly. "It must be hard to go through life, being unable to touch another person."

Rogue frowned, shoving her hands inside her pockets. Untouchable? "I don't need your damn pity. And I have a name, ya know," she muttered darkly. 

"Excuze-moi, chère." He looked genuinely sympathetic. "What is it?"

"Why do you want to know, Demon Eyes?" Rogue snapped.

"Gambit is curious," he said with a shrug, not offended at her harsh tone. "Gambit is wondering if you name is as beautiful as your face."

"Flattery ain't going to get you anywhere, buddy, and it's Rogue. And yours is Gambit, right?"

"_Oui_. But please call me Remy Lebeau if you feel like it," he purred softly. 

"Remy LeBeau, huh?" She asked, smirking and thinking back to her French lessons. "Remy, the Beautiful, right? That's some name." 

"You know your French," he said, with a nod. "But my name fits, non?" Rogue rolled her eyes at his cheeky smile as he gestured to his handsome face. "You can call me Demon Eyes, if you wish, then, _ma belle fille_," he said, winking at her. "I wouldn't mind."

Rogue returned a small smile. "No, thanks. I think I'll stick with Gambit."

Still smirking, he took a step closer to Rogue, wrapping an arm around her before she could get away. 

"What the hell do you think your doing?" she asked, alarmed at his closeness.

"You looked cold," he murmured softly to her. "Pas l'inquiétude (don't worry). I won't hurt you none."

Rogue closed her eyes, shivering both from the cold and his voice. She swallowed, her mouth had gone completely dry. He was close enough for her to smell the rain and the spicy cologne he wore that reminded her of the hot summer nights of the South. "You should be more worried about me, Gambit," she murmured under her breath as she tried not to pay too much attention to his body and its effect on her. 

He was pressed much too close to her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders that she picture his strong tall frame in her mind. But why wasn't she mad at him? Why didn't she back away? Secretly she told her how nice it felt to be held by someone even if he was the enemy. Her checks began to feel warn as she blushed so she looked down nervously. She didn't want him to she her reddened. 

"Something on the ground catch your eye, chère?" Gambit questioned with a smile.

"No. I just don't wanna look at ya right now," Rogue replied hastily.

That made Gambit laugh out loud in amusement. The warm, rich sound made her heart skip a beat and made her knees weak. She was suddenly glad that he had a firm hold on her or else she would have fallen to the cold ground. "Here Gambit is being a gentleman and you insult _moi_! _La fille a une langue aiguë_!" (The girl has a sharp tongue!) 

"I'm just honest with ya, Cajun."

"Of course _mais _(but) Gambit wishes to see your pretty face, chère," he murmured in her ear. As though forced, Rogue lifted her face to his and he smiled like a shark ready to devour a helpless little fish for supper. "Your blush makes you all the more lovely to look at."

"I ain't some doll, ya know," she retorted with a fierce scowl. "And I don't want you to look at me like that."

"But you are not trying stopping Gambit either, bien-aimé." (sweetheart)

Rogue frowned at his response and his engulfing company. Was it just her or was Gambit getting closer and closer? That thought unnerved her a bit. She didn't feel like sucking his life away and leaving the guy unconscious in the park. "Um, could ya give me some room?"

"Is Gambit making you uncomfortable?"

"Well, no, it's just that…"

Suddenly Gambit's free hand was wrapped around her waist with an impudent hand resting on her bum, pulling her further into the embrace. "How about now, chère?"

"Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Rogue asked, her temper unleashed at his advances. "I ain't that kind of girl! Now let me go, you pervert!"

"Gambit ain't going to hurt you none," he told her with a gentle smile. 

"Yay but I might hurt you, damn it!"

"Just relax, chère" he murmur quietly in her ear. His warm lips were close enough for his breath to tickle the skin on her neck. Rogue shivered and closed her eyes, torn between melting into a poodle of liquid lust or pushing the dangerous man away from her. Oh God, this can't be happening! "G_ambit sera très prudent avec vous_." (Gambit will be very careful with you.)

"There is that French stuff again," Rogue said under her breath. "What the hell are ya saying?"

"Nothing much," the Cajun replied.

"Will ya let me go now? I got to go home," Rogue told him. "They might be worried about me."

"Do you want Gambit to walk you home, mon joli?"

Rogue shook her head. "That might cause some trouble, ya know? But thanks anyway." She started to move away but Gambit grabbed her gloved hand. She stared as he brought it to his lips and kissed the material. 

"Gambit would like to see you again, Rogue," he said softly, almost too soft for Rogue to hear. "Et bientôt." (and soon)

She looked away. "Well that is your own good fault, Cajun," she replied with a smirk, drawing back her hand. 

"Au revoir," Remy said, smiling and watching as Rogue turned and hurried away, folding her arms around her form as she went. 

La Fin

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Author's note: So how was it? Good? Bad? I think I made Gambit too sweet and Rogue not mean enough. Oh well…**swoons** But Gambit sure made me want to have my own Cajun around! ^_^ Why can't I have a cute Cajun guy pick me up? **thinks** It's because I'm in the middle of nowhere, right? **wallows in self-pity** Well I hope you liked it! Please review! That would make me very happy!!!!


	2. A Meeting of Friends

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In the Rain by Yui

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Author's note: by popular demand, I'm posting another chapter! I have a lot of ideas about this story and hopefully I can write them all down before I forget what they are (or lose interest ._.;) ! I'm shooting for about 4 or 5 chapters. Woohoo! That's a lot! ^_^ Geminidragon, thanks for your idea. ^_- I'm gonna use it! Thanks to all those who read and reviewed and those who demanded another part to the story! ^_^ 

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Disclaimer: Don't own X-men, Garbage, or the Matrix ^^;

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Chapter 2

A Meeting of Friends

Rogue didn't know why but as she walked home, she found herself in a much happier mood. It was like she was walking an air with stars glowing in her eyes. She wasn't really angry anymore and she wasn't worried of what was too come once she was under the roof of the Institute either. In fact, she didn't even care anymore about that. Well it wasn't everyday she got picked up by a hot Cajun man in the park whose voice could make a saint sin. That was enough to send her into an upbeat frame of mind. Rogue sighed, a deep and unexpected blush burning her pale cheeks. She couldn't help to be exceptionally cheerful now that a guy had noticed her for once and he wasn't some perverted old man. 

Ordinarily, Rogue was rammed into the shadowy background when Kitty and Jean entered the scene. Guys flocked to Jean because of her tall, slim figure or to Kitty because of her pretty face and sweet personality. Guys really didn't pay attention to her. The ones at school were either jerks to her because she was a mutant or intimidated because she was so dark and ambiguous. They didn't realize that she was a lonely girl too and that their cold distance made her feel so very ugly and unwanted. But not him. Not Gambit. He had flirted with her; he had made her feel pretty and feminine like the silly lovesick girls in all those silly movies she despised. Damn him! (Random A/N: Oh my God! You would not believe how many times I rewrote that paragraph for it to sound how I wanted it to!)

An uneasy feeling soon settled in the pit of her stomach, however, and it made her she chewed on her lower lip nervously. She wondered if Gambit really meant to be sweet to her because he liked her. It was no secret that he was on the opposing team. What if he just wanted to get closer to her, learn all her secrets about the x-men and herself, just because he was the enemy? Or what if he was just some smooth playboy who liked to manipulate young naïve girls like her? That made a cold shiver run down her spine. 

No, I don't want it to be like that, she told herself as if praying to the Fates. Please, he's the first guy who was ever genuinely kind to me. I just won't think about that. I just want to have some happiness. Being cared for is too nice a feeling to destroy. 

But, lord, what was she suppose to do now? Flirt back with him? Say sweet nonsense in his ear like he had done to her in the park? Bait her eyes and blush every time she thought of him? How could she lend him on like that when she was so confused herself? She really didn't have the experience in that sort of field. This was her first time a guy ever really made her feel special, if only for a little bit. What if he wanted to kiss her or hold her hand without gloves? That was way too dangerous. But she was thinking to far ahead. Gambit might not stick around for long. What if she never saw him again? That thought made her a little depressed. She hoped she saw him again. There was something about him that she just couldn't forget. Maybe it was the way was didn't seemed terrified to be with her. Or maybe it was his intense eyes or handsome face.

Sighing deeply, she reached into her pocket of her dampened coat and fished out the card he had given her as a small gift. It was the Queen of Hearts. The queen on top seemed elated as she held a red heart in her hand but her reflection looked somber and nonchalant as she a double-edged knife in hers. 

"It really was romantic," she murmured, her fingers stroking the glossy card, "trite but romantic." She blushed, still feeling his large warm hands on her small ones as he had enveloped them when he had pushed the gift back to her. He had been so friendly, so sweet, and so unafraid of being close to her. She bit her lip and shook her head. "No, I will not be one of those girls who falls over every man that looks her way," she told herself in a hard voice, putting the card back in her pocket. "I won't! That's a stupid thing to do. But, God, he is making it difficult!"

Just then, she looked up and saw that she had arrived at the Institute and it was later in the evening then she had really thought it was. The clouds overheard were black and ominous as she looked up at them, the sunlight almost gone completely. Great, now they would really worry about her, she thought. Well, at least it had stopped raining. Then she noticed that Logan was leaning up against the front gate, his arms crossed over his chest while he frowned as though he was the very devil at the entrance of hell, ready to welcome her in. Rogue gulp at the unpleasant image and nervously chewed her bottom lip. He really did look royally peeved as he scowled at her.

"Um…" she stumbled to say something. 

"Xavier wants to see you," Logan growled like a wolf low in his throat. He even sounded as angry as he looked.

Rogue looked down at her shoes sheepishly. "I kinda guessed that he would," she told him, looking up through her dark lashes to see Logan turn and head back inside the gates. "Hey! Wait a minute, would ya?" She raced to catch up with him. "What were ya doing hanging around outside anyway?"

"I wanted to see when you got home," he murmured roughly, not looking at her. "It's too late to be wondering the streets alone."

I wasn't alone most of the time, she thought, but she thought it wise to keep that information to herself. Logan had the irritating but endearing tendency to act like her dad sometimes and he would probably flip if he found out who she was with. But she was touched that he cared about her even after she had fought him off with Lance's powers.

"Hey, Logan?" Her voice was quiet and a little apprehensive. 

"What is it?" his answer was gruff.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry…for what happened earlier," she told him, looking down at the ground. "You have always been nice to me. You just caught me at a bad time."

She heard him exhale a heavy sigh before he reached over and laid a large hand on the top of her head, rumpling her multihued tresses in a friendly manner. "It's fine, Stripes," Logan said kindly, his voice losing its ruggedness. "I'm glad you got home in one piece."

Rogue smiled, truly glad that he wasn't mad at her anymore. A mad Logan was a very scary one to deal with. "Thanks, Logan."

They walk the worn path up to the mansion's door in a comfortable silence. However, Rogue's stomach tied itself in a tight knot when she noticed that Jean was standing in the doorway, glaring at Rogue with bandages wrapped round her chest. Her good mood faltered for a moment but she reached into her pocket and held the card. It was like an icon of courage. It calmed her nerves so she was able to ignore the older girl who stood, fuming like an old hag.

"Is the professor in his office?" Rogue asked Logan, who nodded in reply. 

It wasn't an overly long walk to the professor's office but the uneasy stir in the pit of her gut made it seem like an eternity. She had never been punished during her time at the school so, of course, she was a little nervous. Just breathe, she told herself calmly. You can handle it. The professor will understand. He won't do any extreme punishment like cut off a finger or anything like that. 

When she came to the door of his office, she knocked hesitantly before going inside. The large door immediately opened as if by magic and she warily went inside, hands behind her back and head lowered. The door closed by itself after she passed the threshold and she jumped a little. She was surprised to see that the room seemed to be straight out of a Victorian novel with the rich fabrics and the stained wood. But now was no time to be amazed. She had to look genuinely sorry for the professor. But she wasn't sorry for having a fight with Jean just sorry for hurting Logan and the possibility that her 'earthquake' ruined the mansion even a little bit.

"Will you take a sit, Rogue?" the aged professor as from the large desk by an even larger window. He looked very serious but he didn't seem angry to her.

Without delay, she took the nearest seat and nervously played with her hands in her lap. She knew that the professor was a good and sympathetic man but her heart began to pound out of apprehension anyway. Well, this is it, she told herself with a deep breath.

"Rogue, I come to understand that there was a confrontation between you and Jean today," he started, calmly. She nodded silently. "We have trained you to fight and to prepare for battle if the occasion came but I do not approve of a personal battle out of spite here at the Institute."

"I'm sorry, Professor. It won't happen again," Rogue murmured. "Don't get me wrong though. I'm not saying I'm sorry for hurting Jean. She started it and my powers couldn't have hurt her too much. But I'm sorry for being rude to Logan and letting you down. I was just in a terrible mood."

"You seem but better now."

"I am," Rogue couldn't help but smile. "Thanks. I took a walk to cool down." 

He nodded. "In the future, I hope you take your troubles elsewhere and settle on another way of solving them."

"So, you are saying that I could pick a fight with Jean anywhere but here?"

"Rogue," the professor reproved quietly. 

"Sorry, Professor. I mean what you are saying. But, God, Jean can be so overbearing sometimes!" Rogue exclaimed, running her hands over her face in her frustration. "I can't stand her 'miss perfect' act. She gets all my nerves!"

"Maybe she is just trying to hide her insecurities behind that mask, Rogue," he replied, softly. "Maybe on the inside, she is just as scared and lonely as you are."

"I doubt it," Rogue murmured. Her life is perfect, she thought. She grades are great. She does everything right. She can handle her powers to a point where she doesn't hurt anyone. "Now, is there any sort of punishment for my fight?" Like claiming a finger of mine or a lock of hair for scary voodoo witchcraft?

"Rouge, I think you have seen one too many scary movies in your time," the aged man said with a smile and Rogue blushed sheepishly. "This is your punishment. The fight wasn't entirely your fault and Jean got the same speech from me," he said. "I just hope that you learn from your mistake and that responsibility for your actions."

Hah! Miss Perfect got punished too, Rogue gleefully laughed in her mind. No wonder she was so pissed off!

"Okay," she replied quietly, hiding her true feelings as best she could. "I'll do my best, professor. I'll just go to my room if we are done here."

"Wait, Rogue," he stopped her as she got up. "There is one more thing I want to talk about with you."

"Yay?" she asked, sitting back down.

The man sighed and closed his eyes briefly as if he had a lot on his mind and didn't know where to begin. "Rogue, I know that it is hard for you to connect with people sometimes but I want you to know that I'm very proud of your effort to do so. Gradually I see that you are opening up to us and that pleases me." A long pause. 

"Rogue I also know that you saw one of the Acolytes today in the City Park," he continued. "I also know that it was a complete accident." Rogue paled slightly and stared in disbelief. "I can see that you are drawn to him so I won't tell you to stay away from him, Rogue. You are a headstrong young woman and probably won't listen to me if I did. I just want you to be very cautious and use your best judgement in this situation." 

"Alright, Professor," Rogue agreed. "But Gambit…he didn't seem to pose any threat to me."

"I know. It's tricky to determine his intentions whether they are good or bad," the older man told her. "Gambit is known to be a very good thief, Rouge. I just want you to use your best judgement," he repeated again. "And do what you think is right."

"I understand," Rogue muttered as she stood up. "Thanks." She turned around and headed out of the office. 

~*~*~*~

"Man, that movie was totally awesome!" Kitty exclaimed ecstatically as she and Kurt walked out into the gloomy daylight from the movie theater. "I could so, like, see it again and again!"

"Yay, the fight scenes were so cool but they lost me every time they opened their mouths!" Kurt put in, finishing off the rest of his M&M's. "I mean, how much philosophy junk can to pack into one script?"

"I know! But wouldn't it be great if we could fight like Neo or Morphus? If we could we'd totally beat Magneto ass!" Kurt laughed as the small girl tried to put off one of Neo's karate-like moves without any luck even with her grace. (Yes, they saw the Matrix Reloaded ^_^;)

"Yay, we can even start to dress like them, too! All black with sunglasses!"

"That would be perfect for Rogue and Scott!" Kitty replied, smiling.

"Can you picture the professor dressed like Neo with that long black coat?"

Kitty gave a pretty, enthusiastic giggle. "He would totally look like a priest!"

The two young mutants gradually made their way from the theater. They had transported to their destination earlier, easily landing in the alley behind the theater, but with their adrenaline at a high, Kitty and Kurt decided that a nice long walk back to the mansion would calm their excitable nerves. It was a fact that the brusque Logan had little patience for hyper kids running up and down the halls of the mansion.

"Man, that movie was great!" Kurt exclaimed with a large smile.

"_Kurt_!" Before he knew it, Kitty was dragging him down behind a car.

"What is it, Kitty?" He thought that maybe she had lost something.

"Look!" the girl told him in a high, excited voice. She was pointing across the street but Kurt couldn't make out what had caught her attention.

"What is it?" he repeated again, looking as hard as he could. "I don't see anything weird."

"Do you see that man with the trench coat walking down the street?" Kitty asked.

Kurt squinted and saw the mysterious guy Kitty was talking about. "Yay, so what?"

"Oh, I knew I had seen the guy in Rogue's picture before!" Kitty murmured excitably to herself, ducking behind the car further down the lane as if she was a spy. She was probably trying to keep the man in her view but all Kurt could do was smile nervously and shrug as people shot them curious glances.

"What are you talking about, Kitty?" he snapped. 

"Kurt, you are so dense sometimes! That's the guy in the picture Rogue was drawing earlier! You know, Mr. Mysterious? We fought him once, remember? He had the ability to charge things and make them blow up! _Kaboom_!"

Kurt's forehead knotted in confusion, his eyes darted to the man again. "I think your brain was scrambled in the movie, Kitty," he told her earnestly. 

"Oh, whatever, Kurt! I know I'm totally right! That's him! Oh, what was his name?" Kitty paused to think. "Gambit! That's it!" She stood up quickly and, cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled as loud as she could, "_Gambit_!" Immediately, the young man across the street stopped walking and spun around as though he was about to be attacked. Before he noticed Kitty, Kurt hastily pulled the girl down behind the car.

"What are you doing?!" Kurt hissed, his eyes wide in alarm. "Are your crazy?!"

"I was seeing if that was really him, Kurt," she told him, her eyes just as big as his. "And it was!"

"Um, since he really was Gambit, who, is by the way, our enemy, why in the world did you think is was okay to call out to him!?" Kurt asked, annoyed. "He could have saw you and started a fight or something!"

"Oh, calm down! He didn't see me. Plus, we have a much bigger problem on our hands." 

"What do you mean?"

"Rogue drew his picture, right?" Kitty pointed out. "She was thinking about him. Why? I think she probably has the totally hots for him!"

"For the enemy? Okay, she's not _that_ nuts, Kitty."

"Whatever, Kurt! Haven't you realized yet that love conquers all?" Standing up a little to see the man again, Kitty saw that Gambit had disappeared into the night. She frowned, thinking how much she would have liked to get a closer look at him. If Rogue was correct in her artistic ability, the guy's looks was to die for. 

"Where did he go, Kitty?" Kurt asked nervously, looking for any sign of the enemy.

"I don't know. He just vanished or something."

"Gambit doesn't not vanish," an amused voice said from behind the devious teenagers. "Gambit is just quick."

Kitty gasped and Kurt paled. They slowly turned around in unison too see the figure of a tall man loom over them. His hands were at his hips in a gesture of impatience but there was a smug smile on his lips. Damn, he _is_ hot, Kitty's mind was fast to determine as her insides quickly turned into mush as she looked up at him. The guy was definitely cuter than Scott. 

"You called for Gambit, _non_?" the young man asked, his voice holding a sexy French drawl, as he peered down at them with his red on black eyes.

Kurt and Kitty only stared up that their enemy, extremely stunned to say anything for a moment. Slowly, Gambit looked from one to the other, still smiling.

"_Le chat a reçu votre langue, votre petite une?_" he murmured softly in French. (Cat got your tongue, little ones? (^-.-^))

"Um, look, we don't want any trouble, okay?" Kurt told him, hesitantly climbing to his legs. "Kitty was just…uh…being stupid." He sent her a little glare.

"Hey!"

Gambit looked at the indignant young girl and flashed a heart-throbbing smile that made Kitty blush. "Gambit doesn't mind being called out to by a pretty _fille_ (girl)," he told her, winking. "Even if she is an X-men."

Kitty gasped. So, he _did_ remember them! That wasn't a good thing. "I didn't mean any trouble, like Kurt said. I just thought I knew you from somewhere." She stood up, blushing further as Gambit offered her his hand. "Turns out I did." She gave a nervous laugh as Kurt frowned at her again. "Well, we should probably go, right, Kurt? Don't want to miss dinner." Slowly, she inched her way away from the handsome French man, pulling Kurt in her wake. 

"By the way, will you tell your _amie_ (friend) Rogue that Gambit says '_Bonsoir_'?" he asked, irresistible charm oozing out of every pore that made every bone in Kitty's body want to melt.

"How do you know Rogue?" Kurt asked, almost defensive. 

"Gambit means no harm, _monsieur_," the French man quickly amended, lifting up his hands. "Rogue just met up with Gambit in the park earlier today."

Kurt growled. "If you hurt her…"

"_Vous m'insultez! Seulement un lâche invertébré jamais élèverait une main à une femme,_" Gambit rebuked quickly in French, his red eyes intense with displeasure. (You insult me! Only a spineless coward would ever raise a hand to a woman.) Kitty knew enough French to understand his point and instantly moved to quiet Kurt before anything bad could happen.

"Kurt, I think you made him angry," Kitty whispered quietly to her friend. "And he didn't hurt Rogue."

"You sure?" He was still glaring at Gambit.

"As sure as I can be with my one year of French. Now let's go before you put your other foot in your mouth, alright?" Kitty started to pull Kurt away again. "I'll make sure Rogue gets your message, Gambit!" she said, looking back only to find empty air. "That's funny. Where did he go?"

(Random A/N: That was a cute scene, if you don't mine me saying so ^.^)

~*~*~*~

-You walked into the room

The sun hit my eyes

The force you struck me down caught me by surprise

You sprung the mojo and it worked like a charm

I felt invincible with you in my arms-

Rogue sighed again for the hundredth time as she laid on her bed, eye closed and listening to Garbage. (She was amazed that those lyrics felt so true to hear then.) This time it was at a softer volume because she didn't want anyone to interrupt her just then. She had a lot to think about and a lot to reflect on. She wanted to honestly think about what had happened between her and Gambit in the park but all she could concentrate on was that fact that he had actually flirted with her as if she were a normal human being. For some reason, she felt like laughing but stopped just in time when a mighty sneeze came. Great, she was getting a cold because of her little trip in the rain.

I won't be that kind of girl, she thought again as she curled up under a large blanket. Still it would be nice to see him again. Rogue frowned. Damn it! She was already turning into one of those girls who blushed, giggled, and stuttered whenever she thought about the one guy. At this rate, her roommates would know something as up and Rogue was out to keep her little crush a secret. She knew that her secret was safe with the professor because he would never tell anyone about Gambit.

Her frown deepened as she rolled to her side. Oh, why can't I just forget about him? He is the enemy after all. Maybe he just wanted to get close because we are on opposing sides, that same persistent thought nagged away at Rogue's mind. But that is an awfully cruel way to get information. Yet, the professor did say that Gambit was a great thief. Rogue wondered what a thief was doing, teaming up with Magneto. Something seemed out of place in that equation. He must be pretty damn good. 

Rogue started to bit her painted nails. Since she was alone there was no use to where her leather gloves. Wearing a pair of old gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt, she shivered under the blanket and wrapped it tighter around her small form. Before too long, she had to get some medicine from Storm before her cold could get even worse. 

Behind her, Rogue heard a faint 'poof'-ing sound and Kurt speaking up to say, "Knock, knock!" Turning over, she was agitated to see Kitty and Kurt standing in the middle of her room, looking a little scared.

"_God_, you guys!" Rogue yelled at them the best she could with her aching throat. "Don't you ever knock anymore?"

"What's wrong, Rogue?" Kitty asked, concern thick in her voice. "Your voice sounds raw or something."

"Yay, like you got a cold from walking in the rain," Kurt put in before Kitty stuffed her elbow in his stomach. "Ouch!"

Rogue looked at them as if they were crazy. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," Kurt hastily replied as Kitty put on her best innocent act.

"Alright, you guys, you've got 3 seconds to tell me what's going on before I do it my way!" Rogue held out her naked hand so they got the hint. Instead, they looked all the more nervous.

"Um…Kurt why don't you leave, alright?" Kitty asked him sweetly. "This is between girls, ya know."

"But…"

"Shoo, elf man!" the younger girl pushed him towards the door. "Before I shove you through the wall." 

"Hey! Watch where you are going!" Saving himself from being harassed any further, Kurt teleported out of the room after childishly sticking his tongue out at Kitty.

Rogue started at Kitty and the girl turned around and gave a nervous giggle once Kurt had gone. "What's this 'between girls' bit, Kitty?"

"Oh you know," she replied quickly. "Where we girls talk about clothes, school, nail polish, boys. I'd thought I'd come here and, like, talk to you because I haven't seen you all day, ya know?"

"Right." Rogue pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes. "I don't want to play any games. I'm sick. So if you got something to say, say it all ready and leave me alone."

"Okay. Just give me a second. I have a lot I want to say but I don't know how to say it."

"Then say it the quickest way possible, cat girl," Rogue replied snappishly before sneezing once more.

"Rogue, as your closest girl friend, is there anything you want to, like, talk to me about?" Kitty asked after a moment quite seriously. Slowly, Rogue lowered the blanket and stared at her as she sat down on Rogue's bed. "Because if you do, I just want to let you know that I wouldn't judge you or anything. I'd support and look out for you because…well…because you're my friend too."

"It's something wrong, Kitty?" Rogue asked, sitting up.

"Well…. I saw a friend of yours today," she said, her fidgety hands twisting in her lap. 

"Huh? Who?"

"You know. About 6 feet tall. Red hair. Talks kind of weird…." A totally hotty, Kitty added in her mind. Rogue looked confused. "Mr. Mysterious?"

Rogue gasped and her eyes widened. "Gambit? You _saw_ him?!"

Kitty smiled hesitantly. "He says 'hi'."

"Where did ya see him?"

"By the theater. Kurt and I were walking home. I saw him and I remembered that you had drawled him earlier. So I called out to him," Kitty told her. 

"You called out to him?! Girl, are you nuts?! He's the enemy! You could have started a fight!"

Kitty blushed in embarrassment. "That was what Kurt said. But Gambit didn't fight us even when he remembered that we were X-men."

"Oh, God! I hope Logan doesn't hear about this!"

"Well, what about you?!" Kitty asked, frowning. "Gambit said he ran into you at the park today!"

"That's different!" Rogue quickly replied, blushing in spite of herself.

"How?" Kitty demanded.

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know! Leave me alone, will ya?"

"Not a chance!" Kitty said. "It's not everyday that Rogue gets a boyfriend! Who is, by the way, like, hotter in any guy in Bayville but our enemy, nonetheless!"

"He ain't my boyfriend!" Rogue shouted. "I just saw him today. We just talked! Nothing happened!"

"He didn't seem so bad when we ran into him," Kitty said thoughtfully. "But do you think you'll see him again?"

"I dunno. Maybe." Rogue looked at the worried younger girl. "Why?"

Kitty shrugged. "I just don't want to see you hurt. That's all. He is on Magneto's team."

"I know he is," Rogue sighed. "Thanks for looking out for me, Kitty, but I can fight my own battle."

"Will you be careful?"

"As careful as I can be."

"Good. I don't want to see you hurt and have to kick his butt."

"What are you implying? That I'd see him again?"

Kitty shrugged. "Gambit seemed really nice and polite. Maybe he likes you."

"I doubt that," Rogue told her. "He probably just wants some info and is out to seduce the most gullible girl he can to get it from."

"Yay right! That would totally be me! He was so hot that I turned into a babbling idiot for a moment or two."

"What else is new?" Rogue said as she smirked.

"Hey!"

Rogue laughed and laid a hand on Kitty's covered shoulder, squeezing gently. "You know I'm just playing with you!" Kitty shout her a fake pout, pretending to be at the verged of tears. "Oh, whatever, you drama queen!" Rogue laughed, shoving Kitty off her bed.

"Oh, come on, Rogue! Dinner is probably almost ready!"

"I'll be down in a second, alright. I ain't going down in this!" Rogue stood up and pointed to her casual top and bottom. "I look horrible!"

Kitty just rolled her eyes and said, "You don't have to look nice for him. Gambit's not going to be here tonight!"

"_Shut up_, Kitty!" Rogue snapped and proceeded to chase her out off their room and down the hall to the dinning room.

To be continued…..

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Author's Note: **stops laughing** Boy, this chapter was fun to write! XD Do you get the point that Kitty was happy for Rogue but at the same time sort of nervous for her? I was writing the dialogue one way then changed course so something later in the story would happen. I hoped it work. I'm still not sure about Rogue's character. **frowns** Maybe her cold is getting to her head and making her nicer? **cries** So sorry if she is OOC! Well I hope you liked this part! ^_^ I'll write chapter three pronto! Thanks again for all those who read and reviewed! Much love! ^.^ 


	3. A Meeting of Luck

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In the Rain by Yui

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Author's Note: Thanks to all who read and liked what I wrote! ^.^ I know Rogue was a little OOC with Gambit but I tell you why she was in this chapter! Beware: there is language, shameless Scott bashing and Gambit shamelessly dressed in leather pants. XD (sorry, I couldn't help myself!) 

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Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men

~*~*~*~

Chapter Three

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A Meeting of Luck 

Gambit was cursing his own rotten luck when he walked home in the dark. He didn't mean to run into that girl in the park or flirt with her. That it a complete and utter accident and his own fault. But when he saw her there in the soft downpour of rain, reason all but abandoned him. All he could think about was how beautiful and lonely she looked, the cursed 'untouchable one', and how he wanted to get to know her. It was like he was drawn to her and couldn't pull away for the life of him. He really didn't want to stop being drawn but it did leave him in a sticky situation. She was on the opposing team, after all, and it wasn't in his tastes to get to know the enemy and then fight them.

It wasn't in his taste, also, to have a puzzle fall into his lap and not solve it. She hadn't been a tough cookie to crack, bit, _God_, he wanted to know her. And he would too, if he had his way.

~*~*~*~

Sunday morning was surprisingly very peaceful and unusually quiet when Rogue woke up. Ordinarily, one or more mutants were up and making a racket in the kitchen, hurrying to get breakfast ready in time. Or sometimes a couple younger ones were out in the large yard surrounding the mansion, goofing around loudly and making enough noise to wake everyone up. 

Drinking up the silence, she snuggled down into her blankets with a sigh of pleasure and lazily thought about the day. She thought about seeing a movie later or going to the mansion's gym as she lay in her comfortable bed. Frowning, she knew the serious Scott would gather them up and practice in the Danger Room. Only he, and maybe Logan and Jean, thought training was a great and practical way to end the weekend. 

Then disaster struck, coming quickly with the urgent need to puke her guts out in the toilet. More than a little alarmed, Rogue jumped up and dashed to her bathroom as quickly as she could. The sudden commotion in the room roused Kitty and the girl vowed to take care of the ailing Rogue not matter what, putting off going to the mall with Kurt and Evan. And ever since early morning, Rogue was plagued with a very bad cold that left her chilled and lethargic as well as Kitty's company.

She would have been happier to be left alone to her discomfort and misery but Kitty seemed so eager to please. She brought Rogue fresh chicken noodle soup; a fresh box of tissues if the other one ran out, cold medicine, extra blankets; she even fluffed her pillows when they went limp. She turned the T.V if it was something Rogue wasn't interested in and Kitty even loaned Rogue some of her books. They were mostly romance and, although she preferred a thrilling horror story, Rogue thought the books were informational. 

However, enough was enough. It was one of those times when Rogue wished she could use her own powers to knock _herself_ out. Somewhere between staying home, sick as a dog, and having Kitty fuss over her like a mother hen, her patience all but evaporated into nothing.

"Do you need anything else?" Kitty consistently asked Rogue, who was buried underneath her covers with a stuffy nose and a pounding head.

"I'm fine, Kitty," the other girl muttered in a rough voice in her fortress of blankets. "I don't want anything. I just want to rest."

"Are you sure? If you're, like, hungry I can make you some more soup."

Rogue shuddered involuntarily at the mere mention of Kitty's 'soup' and drew her blankets tighter around her curled form. She knew Kitty meant well but the younger girl had no skills whatsoever in the kitchen. How an intelligent student like Kitty could make a disaster out of the simple recipe like chicken noodle soup Rogue had no clue. The soup had been thick, chewy, and nearly inedible. When Rogue didn't immediately dive into eating it, Kitty thought that she didn't like people hovering about when she ate. So Kitty left for a while and Rogue dumped the repulsive broth into the wastebasket. Rogue would stave before she had to eat that again. 

"Kitty, why don't you go to the mall?" Rogue asked the younger girl. "I can take care of myself. With the way you are carrying on, it's like I'm dying."

Kitty smiled, her face reddening in embarrassment. "I just hate to see people sick," she confessed. "Besides, I don't mind."

But _I_ do, Rogue said in her mind with a frown. "You've been at my side all day," she replied instead, not wanting to insult the concerned girl. "I need some time by myself, ya know? Plus, you don't want to get my cold, do ya?"

"I really don't get sick," Kitty answered, failing to get the hints dropped by Rogue. "It takes a lot for me to get sick. Do you, like, want another book to read? I have plenty of magazines, too, if you're interested." 

Frowning, Rogue peered up in the girl's face, ready to tell her to leave, and saw how exhausted the younger girl looked. She had been constantly running up and down the mansion's stairs all morning just to make Rogue as comfortable as possible. Rogue felt guilt settle in her heart but it wasn't like she had intentionally begged Kitty to play nurse!

"No, I'm fine," Rogue answered, quieting a cough. "Just sit down and take a breather, alright? You've been up since 9:00." And I'm sick of you, she added in the mind as an afterthought. 

She heard Kitty yawn. "I guess your right. I'll just sit down for a few minutes." She moved to her bed and laid down. "If you, like, need anything, Rogue, just tell me. Okay?" She fell asleep before Rogue could answer. 

Rogue sighed in relief. Finally, she had some peace! She lay in her bed, cherishing the peace that came with silence, and settled herself deeper in her warm blankets. Then her nose started to run. Damn it! Frowning, Rogue reached out of her cocoon of warmth to her side table where a box of tissues sat. However, it was completely empty. Great! 

Rogue glanced at her sleeping roommate and sighed. Fighting off the weight of fatigue, she pulled herself up slowly so that she was sitting upright on her bed and swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. Her head became hazy as she pushed herself to her feet to stand next to her bed and she was a little wobbly and sore from lying down all day too. Stretching the tender muscles in her arms and neck, Rogue struggled to pull on a black, zip-up sweater over her gray undershirt to stay warm. She also slipped on her black gloves. 

Quietly as her socked feet would allow, she made her way to her bathroom in search of some toilet paper to help her stuffy nose. But there was none. That's just great, she thought to herself, moving to another bathroom down the hall. No one was out so they didn't see how disheveled she looked with her hair in tangles, her eyes puffy, and paler skin than usual without her trademark make-up. However, the other bathrooms of the mansion were empty too! In fact, there was no toilet paper or Kleenex anywhere in the mansion! The only thing they had was paper towels and the really cheap toilet paper that was too rough to use on tender noses. 

Rogue knew that beggars couldn't be chooses but to hell with that, she thought grimly. I don't want my nose to fall off my head! Well, I guess I'll just have to go to the store and get some, Rogue told herself as she moved back to her room. 

She couldn't believe that everyone was gone for the day (that hardly ever happened!) and she didn't have the heart to wake Kitty up to go for her. She'd just have to do it herself. Besides, her body was feeling a little less sore from her stroll around her home but her head still a little light. But the walk to the store was a short one. She could do it. Plus the exercise would be could for her.

Pulling on her black boots over her socks as well as a scarf and a light jacket, Rogue headed out after grabbing some money from her drawer. She knew that she wasn't very pretty looking, dressed in dark sweat-pants and a wrinkled jacket and a paler face than usual but she couldn't care less if she looked like shit. She was too sick to worry over her appearance. Sniffing and shivering miserably, she closed that mansion's front door behind her and made her way to the drugstore, three blocks away.

When her walk began, the fresh, cool air revived Rogue. She was only a block away from her destination, however, when it felt like she was going keel over and die. She was shivering as the quickly chilling wind blew through the city streets and her head felt hot like there was a fire in there. She was getting dizzier by the minutes and her stomach was staring to act up, too. Maybe walking to the drug store hadn't been a great idea after all. She should just rest a minute on a bench and wait until she felt better to head on.

Keeping her head lowered and arms crossed or her chest, she walked quickly and ignored the people who shared the sidewalk with her. Being sick and without her dark make-up to cloak her face, she felt a little vulnerable. Ever since she could remember she had always put on dark make-up. She didn't know why though. She liked the look and she liked to look fierce so people would be too intimidated to get close to her. Maybe she wore it to keep people from seeing how defenseless she was, like it was a mask or something, and end up hurting her. But that how reasoning was completely thrown away since _someone_ had managed to keep close to Rogue, closer than she would have liked. 

Moving a bit slower now with her eyes on the ground before her, Rogue heard a faint hum in the distance. It grew as seconds passed but she ignored the irritating sound and continued to walk. The low rumble, like thunder, followed her and was soon as her side. A little annoyed because the sound was causing her head to throb, Rogue peeked over her shoulder to see what the noise was and frowned in resentment as her heart stopped beating for a moment. 

"_Bonjour, chère_," Gambit smiled to her as he rode his motorcycle slowly by her side in the street. He was wearing his long brown trench coat but, unlike yesterday, was dressing (gulp) leather pants and a dark shirt with back gloves as well. He looked absolutely delicious to Rogue with his devil-may-care smile and wild, wind-tousled hair. "Gambit didn't recognize you without your black make-up."

Her frowned deepened and made it a point not to stare into his handsome face or other things but to turn away sharply and quickened her pace on her wobbly legs. But ignoring him didn't make him go away. 

She was proud of the fact that she hadn't thought about Gambit one bit that day. Of course she had been easily distracted but even as she read those cheesy love stories, his face didn't come to mind at all! She decided last night that she would not worry about that boy. If she ever saw him again, she would just ignore him. There was no way they could be friends or more than that. He was the enemy and her powers were put her and him both a risk. 

Besides he had worked down her impenetrable defenses like they were nothing and she didn't appreciate that. In fact, that scared her. No one could turn the rogue into a blush, babbling idiot but him. If Gambit told her to do something she probably would, she was that pathetic and that careless around him. She already knew that he could hurt her badly if he wanted too. So, Rogue would not play his game. She would quit early to save herself the pain. She didn't want to play with fire and get burned.

"_Quel est mauvais, chère_?" Gambit questioned from the street, the concern in his voice was thickening his seductive accent. (What is wrong, dear?) She knew enough French to know what he was asking but instead of replying, Rogue looked over her shoulder again and glared. It was his fault after all that she was sick! 

Rogue was slightly pleased when shock made Gambit's demon eyes widen and mouth drop. "_Où l'enfer vous pensez que vous allez? Jésus, vous avez l'air de vous êtes prêt à passer hors!_" (Where the hell do you think you are going? Jesus, you look like you are ready to pass out!) He looked a little annoyed as he stared at her. 

"What?" Rogue asked, defensively.

"You're too sick to be walking around town."

"You're a quick one," she muttered sarcastically.

"Where are you heading too?" Gambit replied innocently.

"To the drug store."

"You will pass out before you get there, _chère_."

"I can make it. It ain't that far, ya know," Rogue answered hotly. "Now, will ya leave me alone? I ain't in the mood to entertain."

"And Gambit ain't in the mood to leave a damsel in distress," he said, playfully dropping his own lush accent to pick of her own. "Now what do ya need there?"

She glowered at him dangerously and yelled out, "Fucking tampons! I need some tissues, idiot. I have a cold after all!" Several people stopped and looked at Rogue. Some seemed embarrassed but others looked insulted at her brazen tongue. Gambit, however, just laughed, his intense eyes sparkling with humor. 

"And it's all your damn fault, too!"

He immediately sobered up. There was a small pout on his mouth that would have made her chuckle a little if she let it. "_Pourquoi_?" (Why?)

"Because of yesterday," she shouted at him, exasperated. "You kept me out in the rain and I got sick from that!"

"Do you want Gambit it kiss you and make it better?" he asked in a deep, sexy voice, not missing a beat. There was a seductive smirk on his lips when she turned to glare at him. A warm stir in the pit of Rogue's stomach made her frown as she began to shiver from the cold air, still trying to get away. "No! Just leave me alone, will ya?" She hoped that she didn't sound desperate.

"Sorry. Gambit can't."

"Why not?"

But he just smiled and changed the subject, saying, "You will exhaust yourself.".

"Shut up!"

"_Grognon!_" Gambit murmured in French before pulling over into a parking spot. (Grouchy!) "Get on."

"What?" Rogue stopped walking and turned to look at him. Her eyes were darting between him and the cushioned seat behind his own. "No! I'm fine walking."

"Get on," Gambit repeated. There was no place to argue in his hard voice but Rogue still crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "No."

"Trust Gambit for once, _fille têtue_." (Stubborn girl)

"I said I ain't gonna get on."

Gambit turned his motorcycle off and placed his hands on his hips. He looked as stubborn as she did! "Get on the bike before Gambit hulls you over his shoulder like a sack of _pommes de terre_ and makes you do it, _chère_." (Potatoes ^.^ The true translation of potatoes from French to English means 'apples of the earth'! The French are funny, non?)

Rogue gasped, taken back by his threat. He really did look as if he might do it, too. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Gambit would," he replied seriously. To make his point clear, he stood up, about to swing a leg over the side and gather her up in his arms. 

Rogue jumped and quickly said, "Fine! You win! _God_!" She walked over to the shiny red and black bike and climbed on behind Gambit without his help. She was sure not to get too close to him. "Don't be blamin' me if I cough and sneeze all over your back though!"

His rich laugh warmed Rogue. "De coat is washable. But you will need to hold on to Gambit, _bien-aimé,_" he told her, looking over his shoulder. (sweetheart) Their faces were so close that Rogue frowned and looked away, her heart pounding in her ears. "Don't worry. Gambit don't bite none." He winked at her as he kicked the bike into gear. The loud roar made Rogue jump and she quickly moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt Gambit chuckle and she squeezed him, hard in retribution. 

"First time on a bike, _chère_?"

"It is that obvious?" She didn't mean to sound so miserable.

"_Seulement un petit," _Gambit murmured. (Only a little) "Just hold on to Gambit and he will take care of you."

Rogue sighed and closed her eyes as they took off together. Because the wind was so strong on the open bike and because it was chilly, she leaned in a bit closer so that the Cajun could take most of the power of it. Sitting so close, she was careful not to think too much of the way Gambit was put together underneath his clothes as she clung to him but she knew that he had some nice abs. (wink, wink)

When Rogue finally opened her eyes, Gambit had pulled into the parking lot of the drugstore and was about to turn off the bike. She was stunned that they got there so quick! Gambit turned off the rumbling bike and quickly climbed off of it. 

"Gambit will run in and get what you need. Just stay put," he told her, pulling off his trench coat to reveal a black shirt that all but clung to his chest. Rogue wasn't sure if she was drooling or not so she just looked away. Despite her protest, Gambit wrapped the coat around Rogue's form. It was large, warm, and smelled like Gambit's spicy cologne. 

"I can shop for myself," she snapped.

"Like Gambit will let you do that in your condition," he replied sarcastically. "Stay there and keep warm. Now, what do you need?"

Frowning, Rogue took the twenty out of her pocket and gave it to him. He resisted. "Take it or I'll punch your nose in," she threatened and he quickly pocketed the bill. "I need a couple of boxes of tissues. Make it the nice, soft kind. A bottle of Tylenol and a bag of M&M's."

Gambit took note of everything and smiled at her when she was done. "Candy?"

"Shut up. I'm hungry."

"_Vous êtes si doux que vous n'avez pas besoin du bonbon_!" Smiling, Gambit turned and walked away, saying, "Gambit will be back soon!_"_ (You are so sweet you don't need any candy!) 

"Hey!"

He turned around at the sound of her voice. "What, _chère_?"

Rogue pointed to his face and quietly asked, "You're not going in there with your eyes…like that, are you?"

He shot her a smirk. "Why not?"

"It might cause some trouble, ya know?"

"Is the little _fille _worried about Gambit?" he cooed and she glared at him. "Don't worry. Gambit can handle the trouble." With that, he turned and continued to the store. In spite of herself, Rogue watched him leave, her stormy eyes trailing down his back to his ass where his dark leather pants clung in all the right spots. Very nice, she thought to herself with a guilt-free smirk. With that smug swing in his step, he was probably expecting her to look.

~*~*~*~

He was back in less than ten minutes. "_Voilà, chère_," he told her, handing her the plastic bag of goodies, and climbed on his bike. "Do you want Gambit to take you home?"

"Sure. I ain't gonna walk." I just hope no one sees, she thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't you want your coat back?"

"Nah," he replied, kicking the bike into gear. "It looks better on you than on Gambit. Besides Gambit don't want ya to be cold." They rode out of the parking lot and down the streets.

"You will need to take a right at the lights and then a left at the stop sign," she told him, hoping that he could hear her above the wind. "After that, keep going straight. You really can't miss my house."

"Alright, chère," Gambit replied.

They were at the institute in a matter of minutes. Gambit pulled over in front of the front gates and shut off the bike. Rogue got off carefully. The vibration of the bike had made her loose some feeling in her legs. 

"This is it, non?" Gambit was looking at the large building, his face unreadable. 

"Impressed?" 

"_Oui._"

Rogue pulled of his trench coat and handed it back to him. "It ain't that nice living there with everyone else," she told him, picking up her bag. "No one really gives you any privacy."

"Well it's better than living off the streets," Gambit told her, looking back at her with a rueful smile. Rogues quickly bite her tongue and looked away, thinking she might have struck a chord.

"I guess you're right. Anyway thanks for the ride," she murmured, beginning to walk away.

"You will probably see Gambit tomorrow, _chère_," he said, turning the bike on and roaring up the engine.

Rogue looked over her shoulder and frowned at him. "Where?"

"It will be a surprise, non?" He flashed a smile and drove away, leaving Rogue standing alone, watching him go. When she turned around, she saw shocked to see a very unhappy Scott, frowning at her behind the iron gates with his arms crossed. He had been a little irritated that she had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend yesterday but now he was more like pissed off since he probably saw her with Gambit.

"_God_! Why does everyone do that!" Rogue exclaimed, jumping back a little in surprise.

He ignored her and immediately asked in a stoical voice, "Who was that?" 

Rogue shrugged, pulled open the gate, and walked passed Scott towards the mansion. "What the hell were you doing? Spying on me?"

"I just got back," he told her. "I was in the yard when I head a motorcycle. Thought it was Logan."

"Whatever."

"Who was that with you?" he asked again. But she didn't reply and kept walking. "I asked you a question, Rogue."

"And I don't care to answer it, Scott," she snapped back, looking over her shoulder to glare at him. "It ain't none of your business," So stick to what you know, she thought, your perfect girlfriend and the six-foot stick you got shoved up your ass. Scott had always been nice to her. He really didn't deserve her sass but when push comes to shove, Rogue always fought back. (A/N: I'm not much of a Scott person either! -.-;)

"Do you want me to take this is the professor, Rogue?"

"That man has enough to deal with right now," she told him. "He doesn't have the time to hear you whine. Now stay out of my business, Scott."

"It's for your own good that…"

" 'For my own good'?" She spun around to face him, forgetting that she was sick for a moment. Instead she could feel her angry start to rise. "How the hell do you know what's good for me? Are you suddenly telepathic or something?"

"I'm older, Rogue."

"That's crap," she spat out. "You are only two years older. Big fucking deal!"

"Rogue, he is the enemy!" 

"Don't you think I know that?" 

"Then why were you with him? Are you switching sides or something?"

"Hey! I'm sick so he gave me a ride to the drugstore to be nice, alright?" Rogue told him. "Now it's, like, oh my God! I'm all chummy with Magneto! That ain't gonna happen. I ain't that shallow, Scott. Thanks for thinking so highly of me."

"Sorry. I just don't think it was a good idea," he said after a moment.

"Why? You don't think I can't take care of myself? Why can't I talk to him when Kitty gets to talk to Lance all the time?"

"It's not like that!"

"Then what's it like, Scott? Please tell me!"

Scott sighed and ran his hand through his hair in agitation. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself, you know. Your powers…they limit you…you need to be careful."

"I always have to be careful everywhere I go! Why can't you guys just trust me!" she shouted out in her anger and desperation.

"We do. It's just that…"

Rogue glared at him, her lips set in a menacing scowl. She could handle the Professor talking to her about this. He had _trusted_ her to do what was right completely. But Scott was _telling _her, not trusting her, and she didn't like that one bit. Even thought she was still pretty confused when it came down to Gambit, she knew that she had to stay away from him. But when someone told her to do something, she did that exact opposite.

"Listen, buster. Stay out of my life, all right? I ain't gonna listen to ya because right now you are just a kid same as me," Rogue told him. "I have to listen to ya order me around in battle but not here. I can take care of myself."

"Rouge!"

"Just leave me _alone_, Summers! If I wanted your opinion I would ask for it!" She yelled back, running into the mansion and away from Scott.

To be continued…. (dun dun _duuuuun_) 

****

Author's Note: sorry it took so long for me to update. Boy, this chapter was hard to write! (Nah, I just really wanted to keep leather Gambit with me and not share. ;-)) So sorry if the characters are OOC. But I hoped you liked what you read! Please review! I'll have Gambit in leather in another scene if you do! Chapter four in on the way!


	4. A Meeting of Spontaneity

In the Rain by Yui

****

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You made me so happy! I'm sorry I'm slow to update but I'm working on it. Loosing interest in mutli-chaptered stories is my biggest weakness! Look at my story 'A Helping Hand'! I don't think I will ever finish that one! Anyway I'm determined to finish this one because so many of you seem to really like it and I don't want a bunch of angry e-mails! 0_o

Words between ( ) are English translation of French dialogue!

****

Disclaimer: Sorry, but I don't own any of the characters!

~*~*~*~

Chapter Four

A Meeting of Spontaneity 

It was Rogue's bad luck that by Monday morning she was healthy enough to go to school. Unfortunately, no one else thought so and she woke up late. When her alarm started to go off loudly, she sprung up, roughly roused from her slumber and with her heart beating wildly in her chest. Wide-eyed, she saw that it was already 7:30! Mumbling angry to herself, she knocked her ringing alarm clock off the bedside table in a huff and rolled quickly out of her bed. Glancing to Kitty's bed, she realized that her roommate was already gone and she quickly dashed to her closet to pick out her clothes. 

"Of all the shitty luck!" she growled to herself. "Kitty probably didn't think I was going to school today!"

Her mood was worse than sour; she would probably be late getting to school today and she didn't have a chance to eat breakfast. Throwing off her tousled pajamas, she pulled on a short black skirt with a back tank under a fishnet shirt. She quickly shoved her feet inside her black boots, pulled on her leather gloves, and jerked a brush through her tangled hair. She grabbed her book bag, hastily refilling it with her books and paper, and ran out of her room to the closest bathroom. In her urgency, she almost collided into Storm as the older woman was passing through the threshold.

"Oh, Rogue!" Storm jumped back in surprise. Her usually calm blue eyes were wide with shock as she gaped at the younger girl. "What in the world are you doing up? Kitty told me that you were too sick to go to school today."

"I feel fine now!" Rogue shot back, running into the bathroom to find her toothbrush. "Are they already gone?"

"I'm afraid so," Storm told her from the hallway. "But are you sure you're feeling okay? You were so sick yesterday…"

"I'm fine, Storm!" Rogue replied briskly, brushing her teeth in a hurry. "Just get off my back, will ya? I'm already late!"

"I could drive you…."

"Don't bother," Rogue told her, tossing her toothbrush aside and running passed Storm and down the hall to the lower level, not really paying attention to anyone in her way. In the kitchen, Logan sat at the table with a cup of coffee before him, and was peering at Rogue over the top of the newspaper as if she had lost her mind.

"What's the rush?" he called out, annoyingly levelheaded, as the she raced through the large kitchen, making a noisy rack in the process.

"Kitty didn't wake me up so I'm late!"

Logan frowned, glaring at Rogue. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" he asked.

"Hell no! What part of late, don't you understand, Logan?"

Still frowning, he got up and laid a hand on Rogue's shoulder, making her stop for a moment. She glared at him as he quickly handed her a piece of toast from his plate and forced her to take it with a firm scowl. Then he let her go and sat back down.

"See ya, kid," Logan murmured, picking up his paper and beginning to read once more.

"Thanks, Logan. See ya later!" Rogue replied, hurrying out of the kitchen and stuffing the toast into her mouth at the same time. 

She was out of the institute in less then five seconds and half way down the street before she stopping running. Panting, she ran her fingers through her hair and awkwardly adjusted the heavy bag on her back, thinking about her situation. Her school was more than a mere couple of blocks away. At this rate, she was probably going to miss her first class and maybe a bit of her second one, which might mean detention after school. Plus she didn't have any of her homework done and would fall further behind in her damn French and History class. Maybe she should have stayed home after all. 

When she arrived at Bayville High, she was tempted to drop dead in the soft grass of the inviting lawn surrounding the large school and rest. But, bearing her teeth in her effort to ignore her nagging exhaustion, she made her way to her locker with a sour frown. In a huff, she flung her bag to the ground and put in the combination of the lock but when she tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. She frowned as she tried it again. It still wouldn't give. Face contorting with her mounting stress, she angrily yanked the lock.

"Come on, you piece of worthless crap!" she snarled under her breath. "Why don't you open up?!" After another failed attempt at the combination, she finally settle on smashing her hand against the metal to vent her frustration, leaving a significant dent in the metal that would amazed even a man like Logan. However, the impact left her gloved hand numb and the fierce pain shooting through her fist to her arm made her eyes sting with hot tears.

"Rogue!" There was a high-pitched voice shouting behind her that could, unfortunately, make even a man like Logan shudder in fear. "Just what in the world do you think you are doing to that locker?" 

Spinning around, Rouge saw her prudish English teacher frowning at her with the utmost disgust and Rogue's anger quickly became uncontrolled. She glared back at her teacher, nursing her maltreated hand; she never really had a soft spot for Mrs. McPherson in her heart. She was an old, religious, high-hat hag who assumed that Rogue was a dumb punk who worshiped Satan on weekends because of her strictly gothic appearance and poor grades she earned in English class. 

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the patronizing woman. "Are you blind?" Rogue snapped. "I'm trying to get into my locker."

Mrs. McPherson's frowned deepened until her lips all but faded into her multiple wrinkles. "You will address me as '_ma'am_' and I can see very well, I assure you. However to me it looks like you are destroying school property, miss."

"Well if this school didn't have such crappy property I wouldn't be destroying it, now would I, _ma'am_?" Rogue retorted angrily; she was too furious to care if she was being rude.

A slender white eyebrow raised slightly on Mrs. McPherson's pale forehead and a haughty distaste passed through her brown eyes, as she glared at Rogue. "I don't care for the way you talk to me, Rogue. You'll serve detention with me after school today and for the rest of the week, 3 o'clock to 6. Is that clear?"

"What?!" Rogue gapped at her in stupefaction.

"Is that clear?"

Rogue bit the inside of her cheek, stopping herself in time from shouting at the old hag of a teacher. After a moment, she nodded her head stiffly.

"What was that?" the older woman asked innocently. "I couldn't hear you."

"Yes, ma'am. It's very clear," she replied loudly, not giving into the urge to scream. You stupid, snooty, high-hatted, ugly woman, Rogue continued in her mind with grim satisfaction.

"Good. I expect you to be on time for once." With that, she walked away, her high heels tapping loudly on the floor as she moved. Rogue glared daggers at her back before turning and facing her broken locker again. Just then, the bell rang, calling for the end of first period. Before she knew it, students were filling into the hall and Kitty was besides her, looking astonished as thought she was looking at a ghost or something.

"Hey, Rogue, I didn't know you were coming to school!"

Rogue frowned and glared as she turned to the younger girl. "Yea and thanks for the wake up call, Kitty."

"I'm, like, totally sorry," an insulted looking Kitty replied. "I just didn't think you were, like, coming since you were sick and all."

"Well I'm fine now, aren't I?"

"Hey, don't get angry with me," Kitty told her. "You could have, like, told me last night that you were coming to school or something."

Rogue's frown deepened. Then Kitty's blue eyes moved to the abused locker.

"Hey, what happened to my locker?"

For a moment, Rogue's eyes grew wide with surprise and she yelled at herself mentally for her stupidity. No wonder the combination didn't work! 

"Um…. It was Avalanche," she quickly lied. "He was messing around with it."

"Really?" Kitty sounded genuinely surprised. "That jerk. I just hope I'll be able to open it! Hey, Rogue! Where are you going?!"

"I gotta get my things for second hour! See ya later, Kitty!" Rogue shouted back as she set her way further, loosing herself in the large crowd. 

Unfortunately, Rogue's day didn't brighten much after that. Although she was on time for her second hour, she didn't have any of her homework done, which made the teacher pissed. Her third hour was biology and during the course of the hour-long lab, Rogue's mind began to wonder and she ended up accidentally dropping acid on her beloved boots. The acid burned them badly so Rogue was forced to walk around in her old, stinking gym shoes for the rest of the day. In her forth hour, she forgot that there was a major test in geometry and she was positive that she absolutely flunked it. When it was lunchtime, Rogue realized that she didn't have any money to get something to eat and she was so hungry! Too proud to ask Scott or Jean for some cash, Rogue stalked out of the cafeteria, famished and mad. 

It was all too much for Rogue and, had she been a weaker soul, she would have ended up in a trembling, sobbing ball of blacking clothing in the corner of the girls' bathroom. However, Rogue didn't become downhearted. She got angry.

With her frayed and tattered copy of _Interview with the Vampire_ in her gloved hand, Rogue sought for an isolated area around the school so she could sit and read in peace before her lunch break was up. She found a secluded spot by the parking lot and flung herself to the ground, leaning her back against the large trunk of a tree, and pulled open the book and began to read. But she was in such a state of frustration, that the words blurred on the yellow pages and became a load of unreadable rubbish in her mind. 

Rogue sighed, about ready to fling the book down and just mediate when a long, resonant honk, like that from a car, made Rogue jump. Quickly as her eyes flew to where the sound came from but, at first, she just saw the row of shiny cars. Then in the corner of her eye she noticed something that made her heart stop in spite of herself. 

She saw a familiar black motorcycle with an even familiar body perched upon it. Although there was some distance between them, Rogue saw a smile on Gambit's face. And hell if it wasn't contagious. Before she knew it she was smiling too and climbing to her feet.

"Surprise, surprise. What are you doing here all of a sudden?" Rogue asked him when she was close enough, her bad mood suddenly forgotten. "If Magneto wants something from the school all you'll get is a load of cockroaches and some brain-dead students."

Gambit's smile widened as he laughed. "Hello to ya too, _chère_," he told her, his eyes bright. For the first time, Rogue noticed that they were normal - white were the usual black was with deep, warm, brown irises – and was completely amazed. 

"Hey, what happened to ya? You look almost normal, Gambit," she joked.

"Almost?" That made him laugh. "There is only so much that Gambit can do! So how does he look?" he asked, winking at her. "Gambit loves to be complimented by a beautiful lady." 

Rogue stood back, let her eyes move up and down his body. His hair had been washed and brushed nicely away from his forehead and his goatee trimmed a bit. He wore a nice pair of jeans with a black shirt that was just right to flatter his fit torso. She had to admit, he looked very nice indeed, but she was sorely missing the trench-coat-wearing-leather-pants-demon-eyes look. L 

"Not bad," she told him teasingly with a deep nod. "You clean up nicely, _monsieur_, but…"Before she could stop herself, she reached over and ran her hands through his hair, disheveling the perfect auburn locks for a more rebellious look. "I prefer this look."

Gambit winked at her when she pulled her hand back. 

"So why are you all dressed up? What are you doing here?" she asked, earning a little pout from the handsome southerner that made her weak in the knees. 

"Gambit is enrolling," he muttered darkly. 

Rogue blinked in surprise. "Here? At Bayville High?"

"_Oui_."

"Why?"

"Magneto," Gambit replied, his voice softly, but he didn't say anything more so Rogue let it drop.

"You don't seem to happy to be enrolled here," she pointed out, scooting a little closer to him.

Gambit shrugged and glanced at the busy school building, a look of loathing and agitation passing his face. "No. Gambit never did too good in school. _Trop stupide._" (too stupid L ) 

"I don't want to be here either," Rogue told him firmly with a sigh. "God, I'd rather be anywhere but here."

"Gambit thought you were sick," he said, eyeing her suspiciously in the corner of his eye but his smile told her he was just teasing, "so why are you here?"

"My cold passed, I guess," she replied, shrugging. "Still I wish I never got up out of my bed. Pretty crappy day I'm having."

"_C'est seulement celui de ces jours_." Gambit nodded, frowning and looking down at her ugly white shoes. (It's just one of those days). "It all began when you dressed yourself in the dark, no?"

Rogue glared at him. "No, I didn't dress in the dark. I ruined my boots when I spilt acid on them. So I'm stuck with my gym shoes."

"Gambit is not making fun! They are very…er…_a la mode_." (Fashionable)

"Shut up!"

Gambit laughed, flashed a quick smile. "You don't have any of you black make-up on either, chère," he told her. "Gambit almost didn't notice you."

Sheepishly, Rogue looked down, gingerly touching her face with his fingertips. "It feels weird not to wear any of it. But I didn't have time this morning."

Gambit shrugged and replied, "_Chère_ would look beautiful in anything, even a trash bag." When she looked up at him, he winked at her and kicked his motorcycle into gear. "You wanna skip?"

"What?"

"You wanna skip school with Gambit?" Gambit repeated, smiling up at her. "There is no sense in staying if you are having a bad day, _non_? Being with Gambit will lift your mood in no time."

Oh, I just want to melt, her mind screamed. But she looked back at school and frowned.

"I don't think I can. The others will…" Rogue chuckled as he flashed her the saddest (and cutest) pout she ever saw. "Ah, who gives a damn what the others will think?" She found herself smirking at the tempting idea. At the moment, she really wanted to go with the handsome Cajun and leave all her problems behind. Who cared if she pissed everyone off? She could take care of herself! Besides, Gambit…he just seemed like he wasn't the enemy right now. She would go. She'd be stupid to throw away this chance.

She surprised herself when she gave a nod, saying, "I'd love to skip school with you," and climbed on to the humming bike behind Gambit with unexpected familiarity. "Where should we go?" Rogue asked, not caring if she left behind her belongings or the fact that she would probably get into major trouble with Mrs. McPherson for missing detention.

"How about we go eat? Gambit saw that you weren't eating and Gambit knows this very good southern restaurant on the other side of town."

Rogue smiled, recalling how much she loved that kind of food and how long it had been since she had the real stuff, and said, "Why does that surprise me? Is it genuine or just a sad imitation of it?"

"No, it's de real thing, _chère_," Gambit told her, laughing. "So, you wanna go then?"

"As long as you're the one paying."

"Ah, Gambit is too much of a gentleman to let a woman pay for her meal," he told her. With that, he pulled out of the parking lot and race away from school with Rogue's arms wrapped tightly around Gambit's waist.

As they rode down the streets, crossing the city, they didn't speak. The harsh wind was too much to deal with. So she was sat back, viewed the scenery, and enjoyed Gambit's body heat warming her arms and thighs. To think that Rogue, one of the x-men, was having lunch with the enemy! Well Kitty got to talk to Lance all night with no one telling her to stop. Although Lance was the enemy, he'd shown that on more than one occasion that he wouldn't side with Magneto. But Rogue knew that Gambit was part of the new group Magneto formed himself which meant that they would probably battle with one another on the battlefield if a fight occurred. But she didn't care.

A few minutes on the rode and they were soon pulling up to a small, brick building. Gambit parked in the parking lot to the side of the restaurant and helped Rogue off. Once she was standing on her own two feet, Rogue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could smell the spicy southern cooking in the air and for a delirious moment, thought she was back in Mississippi. She smiled and opened her gray eyes, noticing that Gambit was looking down at her and saw, for a split second, that his face was soft and unguarded. She blushed and they both looked away, embarrassed.

"Ready to head inside, _chère_?" Gambit asked her. His voice was soft. Her sides quivered when she noticed that his accent thickened deliciously when he whispered.

"S-sure." Rogue followed him as he led the way around to the front of the building. After a couple of steps, Gambit reached back and casually grabbed her gloved hand. Rogue paled for a moment, her eyes growing wide at his bold actions, and she hastily looked up at him. But he was looking forward and didn't see her shock. She bit her lower lip and let her hand rest easily in his, blushing as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. 

Didn't he care that she could hurt him if he touched her? Unusually shy, she shot a quick glance at his handsome profile through he dark lashes. Probably not, she told herself with a little smile. She looked down at their interlocked hands. Through her glove, she could feel the heat and softness of his hand. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. No one hand ever held her hand so…carelessly, not even Scott. Everyone always seemed to make sure that she was totally covered up so they could touch her. 

Her thoughts broke when Gambit held open the front door for her. Smiling her thanks, Rogue walked inside and was immediately surrounded by warmth and noise. She looked around and saw that the restaurant was a small and intimate affair with a lot off seating and light, almost like a kitchen. The atmosphere was friendly and inviting too, like you could stay all day without having someone push you to the door. 

An older woman, in a knee-length blue dress and a pink apron with a mop of thick brown hair met Rogue and smiled down at her. She had an air about her that was motherly although she wasn't quite that old. 

"You by yourself, sugah?" she asked her, her big blue eyes friendly. She had a warm accent that was just as amiable.

"No…"

"She's with me, Madam," Gambit said from Rogue's side, flashing a smile at the woman. 

"_Madam_?" she questioned in shock as she stared at Gambit. She pulled out menus from her apron and smacked him on his head, making Rogue gasp. "I ought to skin ya alive, Lebeau!" Did she know Gambit? "Or at least throw ya into de kitchen to work! Madam?! Hah!" The woman looked a Rogue and smiled. "I'm only 30, sugah. Don't let him fool ya."

"_Désolé, mademoiselle_," Gambit murmured, rubbing his head with a little frown. "_Remy n'a pas signifié de mal!"_ (Sorry, miss. Remy meant to harm!)

"Dat's more like it, cutie," the woman told him with a nod. Then she suddenly frowned and smacked him on his head again. "I haven't see you in over two weeks! One day you were sittin' here then the next moment you were gone. Didn' even pay! Didn' even come here 'til now. I've been worried 'bout you, Lebeau! And if I heard dat people found your dead, worthless body in some gutter somewhere, I'd 'ave put a curse on your soul. I'm too old to worry about a boy like you!" 

"_Oh, elle s'a été souciée de Remy! Désolé mais j'avais des affaires,"_ Gambit told her. Even thought, Rogue didn't understand much French she could understand the grief in his voice. (Oh she's worried about Remy. Sorry but I had business.)

"Business?! A boy like you doesn't '_have business'_!" she told him, smacking him again. "You're business is in school not on da streets like some thug!"

Finally having enough with the abuse, Gambit dodged behind Rogue for sanctuary. "But you should be proud of Remy!" he told the woman quickly. "He enrolled at Bayville High! Starting tomorrow."

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes as through trying to see through him. "Are ya lyin' to me, Lebeau?"

"I would never think to do so!"

The woman sniffed and then smiled, her warmth returning quickly. "Then I be proud of you, Lebeau," she said. Then she glanced down at Rogue who had been silent thus far. "Now quite being rude and introduce her."

"Rude?!" Gambit sputtered out in disbelief. "At least Remy doesn't hit people with menus!"

"Don't listen to him, sugah," the woman told Rogue in a whisper with a smile. "He deserves to have some since smacked into him sometimes."

"Bah! Rogue this is Jeannine De Molineus," Gambit told her, smiling. "She's the owner of this place. She's very nice, a good friend, but don't make her mad. Her temper can make the Devil cry."

"Um…it's nice to meet you," Rogue replied. 

"You too, chère. I hope I didn't scare you!" Jeannine looked over at Gambit and murmured, "_Elle est une belle fille. Est-elle votre amie?"_ (She is a beautiful girl. Is she your girlfriend?)

He just offered a mysterious smiled and looked down at Rogue, who had no idea what was being said. 

"I will get you guys a table," she told them. "Follow me, _s'il vous plaît_." She led then to the back of the restaurant, it was almost completely empty, and gestured to a booth. Gambit flung himself down into a seat and Rogue shyly sat across from him. "Here are your menus. Look 'em over and I'll be back in a minute to take your order, all right?"

Rogue nodded. When Jeannine disappeared, she looked over at Gambit and blushed when their eyes meet. Embarrassed, she looked down at her menu, idly looking over the meals. An awkward silence soon settled between them and she grew uncomfortable. 

"So…um…she seemed to know you pretty well, Gambit," she spoke up, looking up at him through her lashes.

He smiled and shrugged. "When Gambit first got up here from Louisiana he had no idea where to go. Didn't have much at the time, ya know? So he wandered a bit around the city, mapping it in his mind like a good little thief should, and Gambit stumbled onto this place out of luck. For a moment, he thought he was back home. So, he went inside and meet Jeannine. She offered him a warm meal and a place to stay when though he had no money and looked like nothing more than a common scoundrel. She's from New Orleans, too, and we, I dunno, connected?" He shrugged and continued. "All Gambit knows is that she's looked after him like a mother and that he owes her a lot."

When Gambit looked back at Rogue, she offered a small smile, at a loss for words. Her stomach knotted up from nerves as the restless silence came again. Slowly, she dropped her eyes to the menu.

"How long have you been a Bayville?" she asked after a moment.

"Oh…probably seven months," he replied.

"You must think it's really boring compared to New Orleans."

"Everything is boring compared to my hometown, _petite_!" he chuckled. "What about you? Do you like it here?"

Rogue shrugged deeply. "I'm getting use to it," she admitted. "At first, I thought it was just a small, hick town and I really didn't like the winter here. We don't get much snow in Mississippi. I don't really miss my home but I do miss Mississippi, especially the food, and the way people talked, and the hot summer nights. When I was a little girl…" Rogue stopped suddenly, sheepish, and shot him a glance. "I'm talking like a maniac or somethin'. You wouldn't wanna to here that story."

"Come on, _ma chère_!" he pleaded, clasping his hands together as if in a prayer. "Gambit shared something with you and now you have to share something with Gambit. It's only fair."

Rogue frowned and slyly asked, "Where's the restroom in this place?"

"You ain't goin' anywhere!" Gambit laughed. As Rogue tried to shimmy out of the booth, he raised his long legs and settled a foot on either side of her lap on the seat, blocking her exit. "But nice try though."

Rogue glared at him as she settled back into her seat. Gambit flashed a wide smile at her and said, "You were sayin'?"

"All right! Fine!" she scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. "I was sayin' that when I was a little girl we didn't have an air conditioner for awhile so it got mighty hot in the house durin' the summer. And when it got too hot outside, I would sneak out of the house in my pajamas and run all the way to the bayou in the back of the house, take off all my clothes, and dive right in for a night swim."

"That's dangerous, _chère_," Gambit said with a smile. "You got some guts to do dat."

Rogue rolled her eyes and answered, "Guts?! Yay right! I stopped goin' when I got attacked by an alligator!"

"Really?"

Rogue nodded, chuckling at his stunned expression, and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt. She extended a naked arm so that he could see the pale white scar running up her forearm like an angry lightening bolt. 

"Yay," she told him. "Luckily it was just a baby one. Got my pretty bad by the arm, started to drag me down, when I grabbed a branch and started to beat the crap out of it. I raced home, bleeding and naked, and woke up my mom by screaming at the top of my lungs in the front yard!" Rogue laughed at the memory. "We went to the hospital and the doctors said I got a broken arm but nothin' else. My mom wanted to skin me alive for going to the bayou by myself but instead she grounded me for a year."

"How old were you?"

"I think I was six," Rogue replied. "I got quiet a reputation for beating up alligators around my hometown."

"Well it's quiet an accomplishment, _chère_."

Rogue laughed and answered, "My mom didn't see it that way. She that I was crazy for something!…I wonder why I remember that. I have a fuzzy memory when it comes to my past," she explained, a thoughtful frown on her face. It was then that, she realized that she had her hands on the lower part of Gambit's shin that were settled so friendly beside her. Mortified, she quickly moved them to her lap as if she had been burned and refused to look at Gambit. He, no doubt, probably knew what she was doing the whole time and enjoyed it. 

"So what can I get ya two?" Jeannine questioned, suddenly appearing by the table. Rouge thought her timing was excellent since it saved her a lot of embarrassment.

Smirking like a cat that finally cornered a mouse, Gambit said, "I'll take your fish courtbouillion."

"All right, sugah," Jeannine murmuring, writing down his order on her notepad. She looked over at Rogue and asked, "What about you, darlin'?"

"Oh…um…I'll have the catfish gumbo with an order of hush-puppies," Rogue said, quickly looking over the menu.

Jeannine nodded. "Great choice, sugah. Our gumbo is mouth watering! Now what do ya want to drink?"

"I'll have a water," Rogue replied.

"The regular, _s'il vous plait_," Gambit said which earned him a sour look from Jeannine.

"Never drink in front of a lady, Lebeau," she admonished him with a frown, picking up the menus and smacking him on the head again. "You will just have to make do with water like your _bien-aimé_." (Sweetheart or girlfriend) With that, Jeannine turned and walked away.

When she was gone, Rogue turned on Gambit and pushed his legs away, muttering "You big jerk!"

"What did Gambit do?" he asked, pouting.

She just glared at him, kicking him underneath the table. "Just stay over there, will ya?"

Gambit laughed as he rubbed his throbbing shin. "Jesus, you got some strength in you body, _petite_! Ouch!"

"I ain't sorry," she replied, crossing her arms and looking away. "It's your own fault anyway."

"Aw, but Gambit enjoyed his little massage!"

Rogue flushed and decided to change the subject. "So what's 'the regular' anyway?"

His smile was mischievous when he replied, "Whiskey."

Rogue face faulted. "Whiskey?! Really? She lets you drink that stuff here?" When Gambit nodded, she said, "That isn't legal!"

He shrugged and replied, "Do it anyway, _petite_."

"You're crazy! The first time I even drunk liquor it was just a little sip and I blackout!"

"Can't hold your liquor with that small body of yours," Gambit told her, smiling. "When did you drink it?"

"Oh, Kitty dared me too," Rogue told him. "It was some stupid game we were playing because we were bored and had nothing better to do."

"Kitty, huh? She de spunky, brunette?"

Rogue nodded, remembering that Kurt and Kitty had ran into Gambit outside of the Movie Theater last Saturday. "Yay, she's my roommate and a freshman at Bayville High."

At the mention of school, Gambit immediately frowned. 

"Er…sorry about that," she replied softly. "I forgot that you don't like school. But it's not really that bad after awhile. Even I've had some fun times there. Sure some teachers are mean but some are really cool and there are a lot of clubs to join. There's even a French Club! Maybe you could join!"

Gambit only smirked at her joke but continued to look depressed. "School is bad if we never went after middle school," he murmured.

"You stopped going after 8th grade?" Rogue asked. "Why?"

"Education's not really big where Gambit comes from," he told her, looking more than a little contrite. "Gambit learned on the streets after that but sometimes that's not good enough. Since he enrolled in Bayville, Gambit was told that he would be a held back a grade even though he's 18."

"So, you'd be a junior instead of a senior?"

He nodded sullenly. "That's nothing something that Gambit can be proud of," he murmured under his breath.

Rogue frowned. Gambit seemed so confident with everything else but when it came down to school, he was so insecure that it was _endearing_! So, he's human after all, she thought. But she didn't want him to sulk too much. Leaning over the table, she put a hand over his and squeezed it gently, making him snap out of him brooding.

"Our seniors this year are a bunch of losers," she told him, smiling. "I wouldn't want to be clumped together with them at all! You're better off without 'em!"

That seemed to help Gambit out of his despondent sulk. He returned her smile, but only halfheartedly, but it was a magnificent start. 

~*~*~*~

After their lunch was over, it was 3 o'clock so Gambit rode Rogue back to school. When they got there, he helped her off the motorbike in the parking lot.

"You sure you don't want Gambit to take you home, _petite_?" he asked, stilling holding her hand in his.

Rogue blushed and looked down. "Yea, I got detention to go to and all. Thanks anyway though."

"No problem." Gambit smiled as she climbed back on the bike. 

"I had a good time today," she admitted shyly.

"Gambit, too, _chère._ It was a very enjoyable date."

Rogue blushed. "Yay, I guess it was a date."

"Would you like to go on another one again?" he asked.

"I'd never that you'd ask! I'd really like to, Gambit."

"All right, _chère_," he replied, winking at her as he started the bike. "Gambit will see ya tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye." She smiled, as she watched him rode out of the parking lot and disappeared down the street. She sighed when he was got and raised a hand to touch her burning cheeks. Dear God, she hoped that he didn't think she was a ditz. But she couldn't help herself! Any girl who didn't want to turn into a pile of goo at his feet was not normal!

Still sighing out of happiness, she turned around and made her way back inside the building. She would just collect her stuff from her locker before heading to Mrs. McPherson's class for her detention. But when she rolled a corner, she noticed a human barricade of Scott, Jean, Kitty, and Kurt standing by her locker. Obviously, they had been waiting for her. Scott and Jean looked more than a little mad and Kitty and Kurt looked concerned more than anything.

Rogue stopped and gaped at the group. Oh no!

To be continued!

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Author's note: mwhahahahhahaha! Oh, I think this is my favorite chapter! **hugs it** Insecure, pouting Gambit is so cute! Okay, sorry to those people who think these characters are a little OOC but I wanted their interactions to be different! 0_o Oh well, if I want Rogue to be a gooey mass of hormones or if I want to have Gambit sulk I can do it since I'm the one writing it! ^.^ Thanks to all of you who like the fic and enjoy reading it (even if it's just for the leather pants -.0)! I luv you all! Please review! ^.^ **kisses**


	5. A Meeting of Stories

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In the Rain by Yui

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Author's Note: I'm so happy that everyone likes the story so far! I feel so loved! ^.^ I forgot to mention it in the last chapter but I only have a vague idea what Rogue's childhood was like. So, I'm sorry if her childhood tale was a little off! BTW, I don't know much about how the Acolytes live and how they got to be on Magneto's side so I'll improvise (meaning I'll write what I want to write). But I think it makes my story so much more interesting! ^___^

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Disclaimer: I don't won X-men 

~*~*~*~

Chapter 5 

A Meeting of Stories

For several stagnant seconds, Rogue couldn't make herself move. Her shock made her stand like a startled deer caught in headlights as she gaped at the group of X-men staking out at her locker. She knew she was in trouble by the furious look on Jean and Scott's faces. No doubt, she was in trouble but did they know she skipped school? How could they know? Before she could gather enough reason to dive out of view, Kitty looked up and spotted her at the end of the hall.

Kitty's face immediately brightened with a wide smile. She called out, "Hey, Rogue! Over here!" But a stern look from Scott silenced the younger girl immediately and Kitty looked down, sheepish and disgruntled.

Rogue frowned at the curious interaction and glared at Scott when he got her eye. They had seen her so she couldn't run away now. Ignoring the nervousness in her stomach, she squared her shoulders and marched towards the group. 

"Hey, Kitty," she murmured to the girl as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She promptly ignored the deadly death glare Scott and Jean were shooting in her direction. "Could you guys move away from my locker? I gotta go to detention." 

If she thought Jean and Scott were angry from far away, she really needed glasses. Up close, she could tell that they were livid. Rouge thought that if they were teakettles they would have been spurring out scorching steam already. 

"Gee, I wish that you would be more eager to attend you after lunch classes instead of detention, Rogue," Jean muttered angrily under her breathe as Rogue unlocked her locker and got out her bag. 

Rogue stiffened, her high defenses kicking into gear as she spun around to face the stuck up bitch. "What did ya say? Do you wanna start something with me, Grey?"

Scott moved in front of Jean and placed his hands on his hips as though he was ready to do battle in Jean's place. In turn, Kitty and Kurt stood behind Rogue like they were her allies.

"We know you skipped school, Rogue," Scott told her. He scowled darkly at her. "I saw you so there is no need to lie to us."

"That was really stupid, Rogue," Jean quipped, mimicking Scott's nasty frown. "Everyone else seems to work their butts off trying to prove to the school at we mutants are just like every other kid; and here you go skipping school like some miscreant! You could have damaged our good image if you got caught! What in the world were you thinking? Scott had to make up a story of how sick you got during lunch and was forced to take you home."

"Well good for you!" Rogue told her. "Why should I even be at this stupid school when I hate it here?"

"I'm going straight to the professor when I get home," Scott interrupted, "and tell him the truth about your shady activities. You shouldn't be hanging out with such a questionable characters as Gambit."

"Oh just shut up, Scott!" Rogue shot back angrily. "We've already been through this same shit before! Remember? I'm so sick of hearing ya bitch about it over and over! So just drop it because it ain't none of your business!"

"Yea, I remember talking about it with you. But before I didn't tell the professor on you then, did I? I'm telling him today. He should know that you are seeing the enemy."

Rogue rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Fine! Go ahead! I ain't gonna stop you or anything. Besides the professor already knows and even if he didn't, I'd still see Gambit because he treats me like I'm a normal girl and not the fucking untouchable that I am!"

Seething, she glared at Scott as if challenging him to reply but it was Kitty who spoke up timidly from behind Rogue.

"Scott, I think you should really stay out of this if the professor already knows." 

"Yay, whatever goes on between Rogue and Gambit is between them and maybe the professor," Kurt put in. "Even though Rogue is our friend, we ought to respect her wishes and stay out of it, like Kitty said."

Rogue looked over her shoulder at the two younger X-men, too shocked to speak. Kurt met her stare, blushed, and looked away. Kitty smiled and said, "Don't worry, Rogue, we got you're back. We're a little concerned but we know that if you know that we were _totally_ opposed to you seeing Gambit you'd put us before him. We know that you are totally loyal and wouldn't ditch your friendship with us for a guy even if he is that hot piece of hunk known as Gambit."

"Kitty!" Kurt looked to shocked for words. "Gambit is Rogue's. Back off, will ya?"

Kitty just laughed and said, "I was just saying how cute he is! Gee, Kurt don't get all, like, jealous on me!"

Blushing and rolling his eyes, Kurt addressed Rogue. "Anyway, we don't care if you want to see Gambit. We just want you to be careful." 

"Thanks, guys" Rogue said, touched by their words, as she smiled at the younger X-men.

"It's, like, no problem at all!"

"Now Scott and Jean are the ones that want to take this issue to the professor, Storm, and Logan," Kurt told her. "They just don't understand how to stay out of someone's business."

"Totally! It's like they don't trust you or something which is totally ridiculous because you are, like, a great X-men, a good friend, and a totally dependable, and independent person," Kitty said, high enough for Scott and Jean to hear. "I don't know how they could_ possibly _think that you would let yourself be, like, brainwashed by Gambit and join Magneto. It's totally stupid!" 

"Is that want they think?" Rogue asked, stunned, and Kurt and Kitty nodded. Rogue looked over at Jean and Scott and both seemed a little embarrassed and frowned at them. "Then they must've never really known that I love being an X-men, fighting the good fight, or enjoyed having such honest and loyal friends like you guys, or a place that I can finally call home."

Jean sighed and caught Rogue's eye. "Look, I'm really sorry about this," she said. "I never meant to question you."

"Me, too," Scott replied. "I'm sorry. If the professor already knows that you've been seeing Gambit then I'm fine with it. Just don't skip school again, all right?"

"Gee, I'm so relieved that I have your approval," Rogue murmured with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, Gambit ain't that bad. I'll see you guys later." She placed her bag on her back and smiled at Kitty and Kurt. "Gotta go to detention." 

"I'll wait for you," Kitty told her, winking a baby blue eye at Rogue. "I want to hear about everything that happened to you today!"

~*~*~*~

"Damn Mrs. McPherson is such a bitch!" Rogue exclaimed as she walked out of the English teacher's office. For the past three hours, the evil old hag had made Rogue grade boring reports, tests, pop quizzes, and everything else that was handed to her. Her right hand was cramped up and she was starving but she had been lucky to only stay until 6 although she had showed up to detention 10 minutes late. She only had to endure a meaningless but insulting lecture on how teenagers no longer respect anyone anymore. 

Yawning, Rouge thought she was alone in the large school since in was late in the evening. So, when Kitty jumped up in front of her and screamed 'BOO!' at the top of her lungs, Rogue thought she might just have a heart attack and died in the middle of the hallway.

"Sweet Lord Almighty, Kitty!" Rogue gasped out, holding her chest. "You're fucking crazy! Do ya want to kill me or something?!"

Amidst her hysterical giggles, Kitty managed to say, "I'm sorry, Rogue! But I had too! Your face was priceless! Ha ha ha!"

Rogue frowned. After a moment, her heart stopped racing and her adrenaline lowered to make room for her wounded pride. "Well your face could scare a vampire away," she huffed out before walking away from Kitty. However, the younger girl quickly caught up with Rogue and wrapped her arm around Rogue's.

"Don't tell me you forgot that I was going to wait for you!" Kitty exclaimed. 

"You stayed at school all this time?"

"Yep! I totally want to hear what happened to you today with Gambit before anyone else hears! So tell me what that guy has been up to lately already!"

Rouge shook her head and rolled her gray eyes. "What in the world did you do for three hours?"

Kitty shrugged nonchalantly. "I did my homework and met up with Lance. He was, like, serving detention in Mr. Ellsworth office for totally acting up in Biology! Which made me mad because I know he's totally awesome at science but he just doesn't want to, like, have his macho-ness, like, deteriorate because of that fact. Typical boy for you! We talked for a bit and I got around asking him about my locker. He said he totally didn't touch it this morning. I think he's just lying and that it was a total, like, accident." 

"Probably was," Rogue murmured.

"So, like, tell me about what you and Gambit did!" Kitty said in a high-pitched, giggly voice. She poked Rogue in the side. "Don't be a grouch! Tell me already!"

"It wasn't anything, Kitty! Really!" Rogue hoped that the younger girl wouldn't see her vibrant blush. "Just leave me alone."

"You big lair!" Kitty shot back. "Tell me what happened! I wanna know!"

"If you want a mushy love story about secret romances watch the T.V," Rouge snapped. "I ain't telling!"

"Come on, Rogue! I know you want to tell me!"

She sighed and didn't fight to hide her wide grin. "All right."

Kitty jumped up and down with excitement and clapped her hands with difficulty since her left arm was wrapped round Rogue's right. "Oh goody!" 

"I forgot my money for lunch but I didn't want to ask any of you for some during our lunch period. So I just went outside and read. But Gambit showed up instead and he took me out to eat."

"Really? Where? Did he pay?"

Rogue nodded. "It was some southern restaurant on the other side of town. We rode there on his motorcycle. And, yea, he paid."

"Ooooh! What are total gentleman!" Kitty giggled with delight. "Did he, like, hold doors open for you?"

"You bet! He even…he even held my hand," Rogue whispered to Kitty, blushing a bit and feeling all warm and girlie inside. "He didn't seem to care about my powers."

"That's _so _sweet!" Kitty cooed softly as they made they way from the school. "What else happened?"

Rogue shrugged. "We got our food, ate it, and talked for a bit."

"About what?"

"Things. Did you know he's enrolling here at Bayville along with two other Acolytes? They're starting here tomorrow."

"Really?! Oh, that's going to be so weird!" Kitty smiled and poked Rogue's ribs again with her elbow. "But I bet you're happy about it, right?"

"I guess so."

"Oh, whatever!" Kitty replied in disbelief. 

Rogue just shrugged and smiled.

"Hey, Rogue, what was Scott talking about before?"

"What do ya mean?"

"He said that he didn't tell the professor then. What would he tell him? When did that happen?"

"Remember yesterday when I was sick?"

"Yea," Kitty replied with a nod.

"You feel asleep during the day and when you woke up and found me still in bed? We'll when you were sleeping I went to the store for some tissue and some medicine. Gambit saw me and gave me a lift. He even went in himself and got want I needed."

"That's so sweet!"

"I guess so. Afterwards, he dropped back at the mansion and Scott saw him."

Kitty gasped. "Did he see Scott?"

"No. I really didn't care if Scott saw. The professor already knows that I kinda like Gambit."

"Oh, do you think he's your boyfriend?"

Rogue blushed and looked away. "No guy in their right mind would want me as a girlfriend. What's the point?"

"Gambit doesn't seem like your regular, everyday guy to me, Rogue," Kitty said.

"Yea, he doesn't," Rogue interrupted. "I wonder if he was dropped on the head as a baby."

Kitty laughed and said, "Maybe he doesn't care if he can't touch you."

"Whatever. No guy would think about dating a girl he can't touch. He's not _that _different from guys."

The other girl just rolled her eyes. "Do you think he likes you?"

"I dunno," Rogue replied, forcing to sound as if she didn't care. 

"Then why do you keep running into each other if he doesn't like you?"

"Um…dumb luck?"

"It's not just luck, Rogue. Have you, like, ever heard of fate?"

"When Romeo met Juliet he called their love fate and look what happened to them!"

"You guys aren't even lovers yet!" Kitty said. "Besides you still got plenty time before you, like, kill yourselves."

"Oh, thanks, Kitty. That makes me so much happier."

"No problem. So, what else did the professor, like, tell you?"

"Umm…He said he wouldn't tell me what to do but to follow what I believe is right."

"Do you think seeing the enemy is right?"

"I dunno. After talking to Gambit, he doesn't seem like the enemy at all, really. It's more like he doesn't have much choice, like Magneto is forcing him to fight on his side."

"Maybe Magneto is, like, using some form of blackmail or something," Kitty replied. 

Rogue frowned. "Didn't Logan meet up with one of the Acolytes? The one that could change himself into metal?"

"Yea. He said that it seemed like Magneto has some hold over him somehow," Kitty said. "That really would totally suck."

"Well I hope that's the case," Rogue murmured. "Gambit's too good to be on Magneto side willingly."

"You think so?"

"Yea. I just hope I'm right." 

The two girls walked home together in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. When they finally made it to the Institution, it was late in the evening and dinner was about ready to be served to the hungry mutants in the dinning hall. 

"Hey, Kitty?" Rogue asked, as the walked through the main hall of the mansion towards the noisy hall. "Will you go on ahead? I wanna talk with the professor before I eat."

"Oh, sure think. I'll save you a seat by me if you want."

"Thanks," she replied, waving to the younger girl before running up the stairs to the professor's room. When she got there, she knocked quickly, hoping that she didn't miss him.

"Come in, Rogue," came a familiar voice from inside.

She flung open the door and hurried inside. "Professor," she quickly stated, "I just want to say that I skipped school with Gambit today and that I'm not sorry for it."

Sitting at his desk, the professor looked up from his newspaper and smiled. "I know you did, Rogue. I'll just ask you not to do it again."

"Thanks. I promise I won't. Anyway that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Rogue walked across the room and sat down. "I don't think Gambit is on Magneto's side willingly, professor."

Frowning in contemplation, the professor sat down his paper quietly and looked over at her. His aged face was dead serious and lined in thought. "Really, Rogue? What makes you think so?"

"Well, he's really nice to me and I don't think he's trying to get to know me because I'm an X-man," Rogue replied. "It's just the way he acts and talks. It doesn't make any sense that he's with Magneto. So I think Magneto is using some sort of blackmail against him and forcing him to fight on his side."

"That is very interesting," the professor murmured. "Logan just told me about his encounter with Colossus and said the same thing. If a foul means of blackmail is the case, then the Acolytes are fighting us against their will. Storm, Logan, and I will look into it, Rogue. Don't worry. We will get to the bottom of this."

Rogue stood up. "Thanks a lot, professor."

~*~*~*~

Gambit didn't want to think much as he rode home. It helped that the wind and the roaring engine were so loud that it hurt to form a thought but somehow the image of the beautiful, vulnerable Rogue keeping popping into his mind. Still cursing his own rotten luck, there was no way he could forget her. He hadn't meant to get close to her but it just _happened_. Whenever she flashed her big gray eyes in his direction, he would just turned into a love-struck little boy. Thankfully he could keep his cool but it was all he could dot not to turn into a babbling moron.

But seeing her would soon get dangerous. Although Magneto and Sabertooth were away on business, they would return soon and find out about his relationship with Rogue if he didn't put a stop to it. If Magneto found out, he would probably use that to his twisted advantage and Gambit couldn't do anything about it because he had to do what Magneto asked of him or else. That was the downside of being some guy's helpless pawn. Gambit just hoped that they wouldn't return for another month or two. 

Muttering dark curses under his breath, he turned of the main street and onto a dark side one. Riding the full length of the narrow rode, he made it to the secluded house he shared with the other two Acolytes and the gone and occupied Sabertooth, who served as their barbarous warden.

The house was large, expensive brick building with many rooms. That was one of the few good things about being in the Acolytes. They were paid good money by Magneto and had a safe – as safe as one could be with a guardian like Sabertooth around – home, which was more than the 3 Acolytes had in a long time. But that didn't make their coerced employment any easier. 

He pulled up into the driveway, turned off his motorcycle and walked it in to the garage. 

"You're late, Remy," the Russian Piotr, also known as Colossus, spoke up from the extra refrigerator in the corner of the garage. "We already ate." He was wearing a silly pick apron and was busy putting the leftovers of the dinner into it. Gambit cracked a smile at the site. However, Piotr was far too serious to see how ridiculous he looked in that stupid getup.

"It's all right. Gambit had a big lunch," Gambit told him. "I take it that it was your turn to make dinner tonight."

"Yes, it was." Piotr was finished packing the refrigerator and headed inside the house without saying anything more. Still smiling, Gambit followed him. 

"Do we get any word from Magneto or Sabertooth, yet?" he asked as Piotr puttered around the large kitchen, cleaning here and there.

"Yes. They called from France. Their business over there is taking a longer time than previously thought. They will be gone another 2 to 3 weeks."

Gambit nodded. "Good. Did he give us any assignments?"

"No."

"That's even better so why are you moping around in the kitchen like this, Piotr? It ain't right. It is because we start school tomorrow?"

Piotr sighed heavily and threw off the pink apron. "I got a call from my mother's doctor in Russia. They told me that she's not doing any better."

Gambit's mood immediately darkened. "Shit, man. Even with the expensive doctors Magneto sends them?"

"Yes," Piotr muttered sadly. "Nothing seems to help her anymore."

Gambit frowned. The reason why Piotr was in the Acolytes was because of the contract he signed when Magneto promised to take care of Piotr's ailing mother. Magneto paid for the doctor bills and sent the best doctors to take care of her and it worked for a while but she ended up relapsing and was sicker than ever. The doctors didn't know what to do. And if Piotr ever thought of leaving Magneto and breaking their contract, he would simply kill Piotr's mother before he killed Piotr. It was like that for the rest of the Acolytes, too.

"I'm really sorry to hear that, _mon ami_," Gambit told him. (my friend)

"Me, too." At that, Piotr turned away from him and started to wash the dishes. Gambit, sensing that he wanted some time alone, quietly walked out of the kitchen and quickly found the third Acolyte sulking in the living room.

Sighing, Gambit sat down next to the normally excitable John on the couch and asked, "Why da long face?"

The Australian frowned, idly flipping through the channels on the television. "If you've forgotten, our precious freedom is coming to an end when we start at Bayville tomorrow morning. Man, I don't know how I'm gonna do that! I haven't seen the morning in two weeks!"

"That's because you always stay up late and never wake up until noon," Gambit told him, smiling.

"Hey, I'm relishing in the fact that our lovely warden is away for a month, all right, mate," John replied. He glaring at Gambit, looking suspicious suddenly. "You seem awfully chipper to me for someone in your place."

He shrugged. "Gambit had a good day today."

"Whatever. You were pissed this morning when we met the principle of Bayville," John accused. "Where did you go afterwards? You just up and left me and Piotr"

"Gambit went out and ate."

"You didn't ask us to come along."

"He had company."

"Company? Hey, was it that mutant girl from the X-men?"

Gambit smirked and said, "Maybe."

"Man, she's one hottie. So it that other girl with the brown hair," John said with a firm nod and a lecherous grin. 

"Who, Kitty-cat?"

"Is that her name?"

"No, it's just Kitty. She goes to Bayville too, ya know. Maybe you will run into her and she'll flash you a pouty little smile."

"Really?" John sunk into the couch and moped. "She probably wouldn't know who I am anyway, Remy. Man, it sucks, being the enemy! I can't get any girls because all the good looking ones are X-men."

Gambit grinned and patted John on his shoulder. "Gambit got Rogue, _non_?"

"Whatever. That was just blink luck," John muttered. "You're just so easy with the ladies."

"What can Gambit say? De ladies love de accent!" Gambit told him, laughing. 

John just rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry. "Whatever. Are you still going to see her after Magneto comes back?"

"Probably not. Gambit doesn't want her to get hurt. If Magneto finds out that Gambit's getting close to her, he'll probably use him to find out stuff about the X-men."

"Mate, that's tough."

Gambit nodded. "Gambit just hopes that Rogue will understand."

"Are you going to tell her all that? That you don't want to hurt her? Are you going to tell them about how Magneto forced us to be on his side?" 

Like Piotr, Magneto kept John on his side by using foul play. John's family in Australia was widely respected for their influence on Australia's elite and for the load money they had. However, the family was secretly full of murderers, cheats, and wealthy tycoons that made their money mostly producing cocaine and other drugs in South America and selling them on the market. Magneto knew every little dirty secret about Australia's most influential family and threatened to reveal all if John broke his contract. That's why John stayed; to protect his family. 

"Dunno. Rogue might figure it out without Gambit saying anything."

"I just hope Magneto doesn't catch a whiff of this. That'd be bad."

Gambit nodded. "Did you hear about Piotr's mama?"

"Yea. That's harsh. I hope she'll make it."

"_Moi aussi_," Gambit replied sincerely.

"But if she does go," John whispered hesitantly, "do you think he will have his chance to leave the Acolytes?"

Gambit thought about it for a moment and then shook his head with a frown. "Magneto would find him and kill him if he left, contract or no. Besides, that man would find another way to keep Piotr here."

"I'd believe that. It's sucks that Magneto forced him to sign that contract."

"He forced us all," Gambit said with a heavy sigh. "That fucker told us that he would take care of our family's and their problems if we followed him. He just left out that he was a crazy psycho who was on the bad side of things."

John nodded and replied, "I hate being used like this."

"It settles none to well with Gambit either. But at least for now Magneto's away and we don't have to follow any orders."

"That's true, mate," John agreed. "I hope he ends up staying in France for the next month. For the first time in six months, I'm living like a normal kid again."

Gambit didn't reply. Although he was glad that Magneto was gone for awhile and that his job had come to a standstill, he owed the peace he found for the past six months to that crazy psycho, whether he wanted to or not. He didn't have to sleep in the gutter anymore, didn't have to steal money to get something to eat, and, best of all, he didn't have to kill to stay alive. 

To be continued…

**Author's Note:** Things are getting so exciting! I hope you guys like the story as much as I do so far! ^___^ I hope you are okay with John and Piotr being OOC but I've only seen like 2 or 3 episodes with them in it so bear with me, all right? I hope you liked the chapter and review. Thanks! 


	6. A Meeting of Misbehavior

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In the Rain by Yui

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Author's Note: I'm so happy so many people like this story! ^___^ Don't worry, guys. There will be loads of Romyness in the next chapters! Be warned: there is a lot of cussing in the chapter. John has a potty mouth! ^__^ Sorry I was so slow to update. I had writer's block and I got two shots that made my arms very sore. **cries**

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Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men or Gambit or any of the tidbits of poems I use in this part! **sob** Don't sue me, please!

~*~*~*~

Chapter 6

A Meeting of Misbehavior

As Ororo calmly walked about the laden table in the dining hall to her seat, she noticed that a certain girl was missing again in the horde of hungry teenagers. She looked around the table and then around the dinning hall to see if her eyes had missed her. Nope. She was definitely not there that morning.

"Kitty?" she asked over the chatter. "Is Rogue not going to school today?" 

Kitty stopped eating her toast and looked over at Ororo with her blue eyes wide. "Huh? Did you, like, say you wouldn't like some eggs today?"

Ororo shook her head. "No. Where is Rogue?"

"Rogue?" Confused, Kitty, too, looked around the table quickly before answering, "Oh, she must still, like, be up in our room."

"Is she going to school?"

"As if she'd really, like, miss today," Kitty giggled and stood up. "I'll go up and get her, Ororo. She's just totally running late today." 

~*~*~*~ 

Standing in her thoroughly disheveled closet, Rogue was frustrated enough to yank out her hair while screaming, to vent her mounting rage. 

"Damn it!" Rogue growled low in the throat. She angrily hurled a couple of nameless articles of clothing over her shoulders and into her bedroom. "Where the hell is it?"

Why in the world couldn't she find that damned skirt? It hadn't been long since she'd last worn the thing and it didn't just sprout wings and fly away. It was there somewhere in her closet. Knowing that her time was slipping quickly away, Rogue rampaged through her walk-in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the damned it. 

She really hoped that she'd find it soon. Every minute or so, an image of Gambit popped into her brain, and her nerves caught fire. She didn't know why but she'd wanted to look nice for him today. Which was pretty weird since, Rogue never dressed to impress anyone let alone a boy. Sighing like a little girlie moron, Rogue thought Gambit wasn't just _any_ boy. He was different.

"Damn, I'm acting all lovey dovey and I don't even know the guy very much," she murmured with a frown. "God, I'm pathetic!"

"Rogue, like, what are you doing?" Kitty's high-pitched voice came from the other room, startling Rogue out of her irate bombast. "The others are already eating - Hey! Watch it!" With her tousled hair hanging in her eyes, Rogue jerked her head around and saw that her black sweater had landed on her disgruntled roommate's head. If she wasn't that irritated, she would have laughed that the image.

"Sorry about that, Kitty," she apologized though she was too distracted to sound sincere. "I was just looking for something to wear."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "_Still_?"

"Just get in here and help me, girl! Have you seen my black skirt?"

"Which one?" the girl answer, removing the sweater and tossing it to Rogue's unmade bed. 

"The short one."

An impish sparkle of mischief lit up Kitty's heart-shaped face as one delicate eyebrow was raised and she quickly hurried over to Rogue's closet, hardly containing her eagerness. "Oh, _that_ one."

Rogue frowned at the girl. "What about _that_ one, Kitty?"

"Is it the same one as that infamous little black number that almost gave Mr. Logan a heart attack?" Kitty asked shrewdly.

"He didn't have a heart attack," Rogue told her, shooting lethal daggers in Kitty's direction. "He was just a little…"

"Stunned that his little girl could look like a ho?"

"Hey! I like that skirt and I didn't look like a ho in it!" she disagree, indignant. 

"Whatever! It's, like, a total mini-skirt if I ever saw one." 

"It's not that short anymore," Rogue pointed out. "Storm took the hem out of it anyway like a good mommy should."

"Yeah, and you wanna show some skin for Gambit, right?"

Rogue eyes grew round for a bit and she looked away, a blush staining her milky cheeks. "No, I don't! I just want to wear my skirt. Is that so wrong? Have you seen it around anywhere?"

"You are such a bad liar!" Kitty laughed and moved into the closet beside Rogue and grabbed the small leather skirt herself. "Here." She shoved it into Rogue's hand along with a tight black shirt. "Wear this with it!"

"I can dress myself, Kitty," Rogue grumbled to the girl but walked out of the closet with the predestined clothes in her hands anyway.

"Whatever. You, like, totally want to look nice for him."

Rogue stuck out her tongue. "So what if I do?" Throwing off her black shorts and top, she quickly dressed in the dark skirt and shirt. She spun around to show Kitty and nervously asked, "Do I look all right?" 

"You look great! Come here and let me brush you hair."

Rogue did so and when she looked in the mirror when Kitty was done, she gaped at her reflection. Kitty didn't leave her thick hair hanging down about her shoulders but had secured most of it with a clip in the back. Only her white bangs hung freely around her pale face. It looked very elegant. "Wow, Kitty. It looks awesome!"

"Here," the girl wrapped a long gauzy purple scarf around Rogue's neck. Stepping back to view the installment, she gave a nod and smile. "You look totally great!"

Rogue blushed and quickly applied her dark lipstick and eyeliner. After that, she pulled on a pair of dark tights, her gloves, and a pair of black, high-heeled boots. Since her other pair had melted due to an unfortunate accident, Rogue had to borrow a pair from Kitty that she seldom wore.

"Do I look okay?" Rogue asked when she was done.

Kitty frowned as she looked her roommate over. "You look like your going to a Halloween party," she decided. "It's, like, too much black even for you. Take the shirt off."

"Kitty, were running out of time!" Rogue put up a good fight but still complied.

"It will only take a second!" Kitty replied, jumping into the closet. When she reemerged, she held a dark purple shirt in her hands that had long, almost see-through sleeves. She tossed it over to Rogue. "Put this one on instead."

Sighing, Rogue quickly pulled the shirt over her head and yanked it into place. She looked to see if she missed up her hair and adjusted her scarf in the mirror. "How's this?"

"Gambit's going to be, like, a puddle of hormones when he sees you!" Kitty told her with a firm nod. 

Rogue smiled at her roommate and grabbed her book bag, refilling it with her homework and her books. "All right. The job's done," she said. "Let's go down for breakfast."

~*~*~*~

"Wow, Rogue, you look hot!" Kurt exclaimed. Rouge hardly heard him over the catcalls provided by the other males at the table when she walked though the door of the dinning hall with Kitty. Rogue blushed at all the attention she received, feeling her nerves explode in her stomach, but Kitty just fumed.

"Oh, you look good too, Kitty-cat," he quickly added with a nervous laugh. 

"Gee, like, thanks, Kurt," the younger girl replied, dropping down into her seat.

Rogue sat down next to her, ignoring the gawking young boys, and began to quickly eat her breakfast of toast and eggs, hoping that she'd get nothing on her clothes.

"Rouge, are you sure you're dressed appropriate for school?" Scott's voice called from across the table. Instantly the chatter of the students lowered, hopping to catch a little morning confrontation between the two mutants.

Rogue's deep scowl was menacing. "There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing," she told him. "I never say you look like a dumbass in your khakis and pullovers do I? So I'd appreciate if you just back off."

If Rogue could see his eyes, she knew that Scott would be glaring daggers at her right now. A soft murmur of giggles swept over the table but a sharp look from Scott sent the younger mutants' amusement away. 

"All right," Ororo suddenly said from the end of the table. "That's enough, children. We have a bigger issue that I must tell you about." Curious eyes shot towards the stately black woman. "Today, Bayville High will have three new students. However, they are mutants like us and make a group called the Acolytes that Magneto formed himself. Rogue, Kitty, and Kurt, have all encountered one during the course of the week and no conflict emerged. So, children, I will warn you to be cordial to the three students but be cautious. Do not be hostile and pick a fight."

An unenthusiastic grumble of 'yes, ma'am,' echoed about the dinning hall and slowly the first of the mutants departed on their way to school, their bright moods somewhat damped by the news. Rouge followed Kitty to the garage. They would be getting a ride from Jean today. 

"Man, car pooling is so lame!" Rogue groaned as she climbed into the car. I think I might die of embarrassment if Gambit saw me, she thought with a frown.

"Totally! I can't wait until I get a car of my own," Kitty replied, sitting down next to Rogue. "It would be totally cool!" 

A younger girl, who was sitting up in the front seat, looked back at the two girls. She looked a little nervous. "Hey, guys?"

"Yeah, Amara?" Kitty asked.

"Um…I'm kinda scared going to school today," she admitted timidly. "With the Acolytes there and all. Kurt told me last night that they we a bunch a bullies that liked to pick on younger girls."

Rogue frowned. "Don't listen to that crazy elf, Amara. He was just pulling your leg."

"Yeah. Totally!"

"Really? Are you sure? If they were picked by Magneto they must be really powerful."

"Don't worry about a thing," Rogue told the younger girl. "Since you're a freshman, I don't think that you will run into them much at school. If you do, just act like Ororo told us too, all right?"

Amara nodded, looking a little better, and sat back down. "Thanks, Rogue."

~*~*~*~

Gambit frowned as he looked down at the comatose figure of John in his bed. He had been trying to wake his friend up for the last half an hour but he slept like the dead! Nothing could get him up even when Piotr started to jump on the bed. Already it was 7:30 and school started at 8:00. He wasn't looking forward to classes but if he got there early, he might get a chance to see Rogue. But that chance was slowly slipping away as John continued to sleep.

"Is he still asleep?" Piotr asked quietly from the doorway.

"Yup."

"Okay." Walking into the messy bedroom, Piotr held a bucket of water in his hands. He moved to the bedside and lifted the bucket up. Chuckling, Gambit moved out of the way. There was no way in hell that he'd allow himself to get wet and be forced to change out of him leather pants. ^_~

"All right, _mon ami_," he whispered. "One, two, three…"

Piotr quickly dumped the freezing water onto John and took and large step back as an enraged yelp filled the air.

"Holy fucking shit, man!" John cursed as she jumped out of his soaked bed, his hair clinging wetly in his face. "Why the hell did you do that for?!"

Gambit laughed, "Because nothing else seemed to work! Come on, Piotr, let's head down stairs and give John some time to get ready." He headed toward the door and called out over his shoulder, "John, you're leaving with Piotr and his heading out in fifteen minutes!"

Gambit heard more angry curses from John as he exited the room with Piotr and smiled. He could definitely get use to the early morning wake up call for John. Down in the front foyer, he turned to Piotr and said, "Gambit is leaving. You know how is get to school from here?"

Piotr nodded.

"If John doesn't come down in five minutes you can just leave him."

"Why in the world would you want to leave me?" John asked and he hurried down the stairs. 

"That was ungodly quick," Gambit muttered as he looked up, seeing John decked out in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt along with a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.

John snickered. "Yeah, it's because I ain't got anyone I need to impress unlike you, pretty boy."

"Gambit doesn't need to impress," he said, grinning. "It just happens. Its called charm."

"Whatever, mate. From where I come it's called swindling," John replied. He turned and walked down the hall towards the kitchen. "Damn, I need some fucking coffee. Do we have any Piotr?"

"I made a pot for you."

"Awesome. Thanks, mate. I'd watch my back if I were you Gambit! I know you were the one how ordered my little shower."

"Just get some breakfast or you will make Piotr late," Gambit called out before turning and heading towards the front door. "Gambit'll see you guys at school."

"All right," Piotr replied. "Drive safe."

~*~*~*~

Gambit quickly pulled into the crowded parking lot of the school and turned off the loud machine. Sighing as if to prepare himself for the humiliating day, he moved off his bike and noticed out of the corner of his eye that a group of blushing girls were giggling and pointing in his direction. Gambit smirked and quickly turned on the image projector at his wrist that would make his demon eyes looked human. 

"Um…hi. My name is Michelle Hamilton," a tall, blond haired girl stepped in his way as he walked passed the group towards the school. She looked downright ditzy with her sleazy hot pink summer dress with the equally gaudy turquoise sweater she wore. Her long hair was almost platinum and her lips the color of blood. 

Gambit immediately didn't like the pretentious girl but revealed a smile automatically and replied, "The name is Lebeau. Remy Lebeau."

He would have seen her blush if it hadn't been for the inch thick make-up on her face. "Oh, wow!" she replied, flashing her perfect white teeth as she smiled. "You're French? I've never met a French man before! Awesome!"

"To be precise, _mademoiselle_, Remy is an Acadian from Now Orleans."

A blank look passed through her pretty face that didn't surprise him much. "Huh? Is that the same thing?"

Gambit shook his head, more than a little insulted, and stepped passed her. 

"Hey! Where are you going?" 

He felt something latch unto his arm. Forcing away the urge to shake it off, Gambit looked down and saw the girl holding his arm. He held onto his patience. "_Oui_?"

"Oh…um…I was wondering if you could give me a ride on your bike later today?" the girl asked, baiting her long eyelashes. "I'd really like to ride it."

"Sorry but that seat is already taken."

The girl frowned. "Really? By who?"

Gambit smiled and asked, "Do you know a lovely little Goth by the name of Rouge, perhaps?"

The blond chick gasped and quickly let go of his arm as if he had a contagious disease. "Skunk-head?!" she asked, her pretty face twisted in snooty repugnance. "She's a total weirdo and a basket case! Why are you hanging around the likes of her? She's one of the mutants, you know."

Gambit's charming smile turning into a dangerous smirk. Without speaking, he withdrew a card from the pocket of his trench coat and held it up to her curious face between two of his fingers. He charged it effortlessly. The intense yellow current made the girl gasp in wonder, the light reflecting off her wide blue eyes.

"Oh…wow! That's some trick!" she squealed with delight. "It's beautiful."

Gambit held it out for her to take. "It's yours, _petite. _Take it."

The brainless girl reached out and grabbed it. 

"_Au revior_," he murmured and quickly hurried away. Ten steps later, he heard a loud BOOM and the high-pitched screaming of the group of girls. Gambit shook his head, laughing as he walked towards the school building. He paused to catch any signs of Piotr or John. There weren't any so he gave up. If they were late, they were late. 

Once inside the school, he found his locker and pulled out the sheet of paper that had his schedule and locker combination on it. He fiddled momentarily with the lock, noticed that it was inoperable, and opted to blow it up instead. The girl whose locker was next to his shot him a nasty frown.

Gambit shrugged and said, "Firecracker."

She slammed her locker shut and walked away. 

As he watched her leave, a threatening voice of a male spoke up behind him, "You might want to keep that power of yours under wraps in school."

Gambit looked over his shoulder and who was talking to him. "Firecracker," he repeated again to Scott Summers and opened up his abused locker, inspecting the damage.

"Whatever."

"You're an X-man," Gambit replied, still looking at his locker. "Were be Rouge?"

"Like I'd tell you." With that, Scott turned and walked away.

"Fucking prick," he muttered under his breath. He slammed his locker close and thought to look for the girl when the bell ran overhead. "Damn it!" Frowning, he headed for his first class.

~*~*~*~

Kitty yawned in sluggish boredom as she gazed, glassy-eyed, out the window from her seat in class. Science was so boring in the morning. Whoever thought that kids could learn about the Astrophysics at 8:00 am had been absolutely mad. In her own little world, Kitty barely heard the chatter of the students as the teacher called roll at the front of the class.

"Abler, Samantha?"

"Here."

"Addison, Nick?"

"Here."

"Allerdyce, John?"

"…."

Annoyed at the silence that answered, the teacher peered at the class over the rim of her thick black glasses. "John Allerdyce?"

The students looked at each other in question. Then door to the classroom quickly swung open and a disheveled boy stumbled into the room, almost tripping over his long legs to get inside. "Hell, I thought I was going to be late!"

Frowning, the teacher, Mrs. Marion, looked over at her new student. "Should I presume that you are John Allerdyce?"

He immediately straightened up and flashed a quirky smirk. "Yes, if I presume that you are the teacher."

Kitty quickly looked to the door, her eyes wide. So, he was one of the Acolytes. Funny, he didn't look like one though. 

Mrs. Marion gave a cool, emotionless smile. "Please take a seat next to Ms. Pryde by the window," Mrs. Marion told him. 

"Sure."

"All right. Bunt, James?"

"Here!"

"Goodison, Lisa?"

"Here."

Kitty snapped her head forward, not wanting to catch his eye. Out of the corner of her eye, however, Kitty saw John took his seat and sank down into the desk like a bag of potatoes. He dropped his head down and used his arms for the pillow as if he were ready to go back to sleep.

"I wouldn't fall asleep if I were, like, you," Kitty whispered quietly to him.

"If I were you I'd fling myself out the window," John replied without much enthusiasm in his accented voice. "But since I am me and you are you and hogging up the window for yourself, I can't do much. So falling sleep is my best option." (Author's Note: I love that line!)

Kitty smiled in spite of herself.

"Pryde, Kitty?"

Kitty looked up, startled, and called out, "Oh, here!"

Instantly John's head snapped up and he looked over at her. "Kitty? Kitty Pryde?"

"Umm…yea?" she replied, blushing as people shot them a curious glance.

"Holy shit!"

"Mr. Allerdyce, please refrain from cussing in my class!" the teacher called from the front. 

"You're Kitty?" John whispered under his breath as the teacher continued to call roll. "Oh man!" With that, he sought hibernation in his arms, leaving Kitty to stare at him.

What's his problem? She thought.

"All right, class. Welcome back to astrophysics. Today-"

"WHAT?!" 

"Mr. Allerdyce…"

"Holy fucking crap! _Astrophysics_!? What the fuck is that?! I can barely tell you what this class is and I'm taking it? What the _fuck_ am I doing here?!"

"Mr. Allerdyce, there must have been some mistake on your schedule," Mrs. Marion spoke over the unbridled laughter of her class. "Go to registration office and sort it out. Then go to the principle's office for your _rowdy _conduct. Swearing is strictly prohibited in the classroom, Mr. Allerdyce."

John quickly got up. "Thanks for telling me that beforehand, lady! If I'd 'ave known that this was fucking Astroturf I would have cussed up a damn storm when I got here. It would have saved me a shit load of trouble!"

"Mr. Allerdyce! Leave this classroom at once!"

"I'm going!" 

When John was gone, Kitty grinned. What an animated character, she thought.

~*~*~*~

As Jean anxiously waited for her first class to start, she watched the door to see the rest of the class arrive in a broken stream. Since most of the faces of the students were blank, she looked at what they were wearing to ease her boredom. 

She was suddenly alert, however, when a new student appeared at the doorway of the classroom. He was big, but in a fat sort of way, but his face and eyes seemed unmistakably gentle. She had no idea who he was. Could he be one of the Acolytes? Was he the one that could change his skin into metal?

Jean secretly watched as the teacher, Mr. Raglans, made his way over to the boy and say, "Welcome to American Litterateur, Mr…"

"Piotr," he replied. His voice was remarkably soft for his size. "Piotr Rasputin."

The teacher smiled and nodded. "It's a pleasure to have you in class. I see you brought the book we have been reading. Very good. Why don't you take a seat next to our Jean Grey?"

"Yes, sir," she heard Piotr mutter under his breathe and watched as he quietly took the open seat in the front of the class, right next to her. She smiled over at him but he kept his eyes downcast. Jean wondered for a moment if he was shy. 

"All right, class," the teacher addressed the class after the bell rang to begin class. "We have a new student today. He's name is Piotr Rasputin. Why don't you stand up and say a little something about yourself."

Piotr glanced up at the teacher. "I'd rather not, sir."

Quiet chuckles filled the air in the classroom and Jean held her breath. The usually egotistical teacher flushed and cleared his throat. "All right then. We have just finished reading our book of poems by various authors, Piotr. You have brought in the book, too. Have you read any so far?"

"Yes. I've read all of them," Piotr replied without blinking an eye.

"All 400 pages? But you just got the book yesterday," the teacher replied, a smile slithering across his face. 

"I'm a quick reader, sir."

"Interesting. It took this class two weeks to read all the poems. Tell me, Mr. Rasputin, who said 'Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed. To comprehend a nectar - Requires sorest need'?"

"Emily Dickinson, sir," he replied without even baiting an eye.

"Good. All right. How about 'for the moon never beams without bringing me dreams of the beautiful Annabel Lee; and the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes of the beautiful Annabel Lee'?"

"Edgar Alan Poe, sir."

Jean saw Mr. Raglans frown, becoming a little frustrated. " 'Wave of sorrow, do not drown me now: I see the island still ahead somehow'?"

"Langston Hughes, sir."

" 'We have lingered in the chambers of the sea by the sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown till human voices wake us and we drown'?"

"T.S. Eliot, sir."

" 'And since to look at many things in bloom fifty years are little room, about the woodlands I will go to see the cheery hung with snow?'"

"A. E. Housman, sir."

Mr. Raglans sniffed and cleared his throat. He then moved to his desk and started to write something down on the piece of paper. Jean stared in disbelief, thinking that Piotr was pretty bright. However, Piotr seemed unfazed at his show of knowledge. The rest of the students were unusually quiet. They had been held like a captive audience as the teacher had quizzed Piotr and they still were holding their breath. 

Looking over, he caught her watching him and she leaned over to whisper, "Mr. Raglans is a major poetry buff. He thinks he knows everything about it."

"Here, Piotr," the teacher said, standing up and offering the paper. "Take this." Piotr got up. "I'm sending you to the principle for your rowdy behavior. You may leave and take your things with you."

Piotr looked indifferent as grabbed his book and the paper from the teacher and quietly walked out of the classroom. The entire class watched him leave.

~*~*~*~

Rouge quickly tapped out a rhythm with her pencil on her desk. If that Michael guy didn't stop looking at her ass, she would jam the pencil right in his eyes as laugh as he bleed to death. 

Rouge was in an irritated mood because all the guys in the school were either drooling over her new look or making some rude comment. Damn it all to hell, she wanted to look nice but the way the horny guys were acting made her want to wear a paper bag over her body for the rest of her life. Jerks. It didn't help either that she didn't see Gambit at all when she got to school. 

Just as the second bell rang for the class to start the door slowly opened and Gambit strolled in, dressed in his leather pants, white shirt, and his brown trench coat. He caught Rogue's eyes immediately and Rouge smiled over at him, keeping her mouth firmly closed in case she started to drool. He winked back.

"And you must be Remy Lebeau," the teacher called out from the front of the class. "Welcome to French class. Please take you seat behind Rogue."

"Yes, ma'am," Gambit returned and sauntered over to the windows, taking his seat but not before checking Rogue out. He smirked and raised an eyebrow before sitting down behind her. 

As the teacher rambled on ahead of them, Gambit leaned forward and whispered into Rogue's ear, "De _fille_ is looking beautiful today."

Rogue blushed and said, "Don't think I'm doing this for you, hot shot."

"You aren't? And here Gambit was wearing his nice leather pants for you to see him walk around in."

Rogue started to laugh but covered it up with a cough when the teacher glared at her. "Great. The old hag caught me."

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "You ain't the only one. She gave me a nasty look too, _chère_. She's pretty scary." 

"Rouge and Remy, please stop talking and copy down what I have written on the chalkboard!"

"Yes, ma'am," Gambit murmured. 

Rogue sighed and got out her notebook. But before she could write anything down, a folded piece of paper landed on top of her desk. Frowning, she quickly opened it up. It was a note from Gambit.

__

You want to take a ride on the motorbike later?

Rogue smiled and quickly replied. _Yes_. Folding it up, she slyly tossed it over her shoulder. Unfortunately, it must have gone to far because she heard Gambit topple out of his seat as he tried to catch it in the air. Rogue spun around in her desk to see he was all right and had to swallow down her laughter. 

"Mr. Lebeau, just what do you think you are doing on the floor?" the teacher asked, annoyed and angry.

Gambit climbed to his feet, brushing off his trench coat and replied, "Um…pretending I don't exist?"

"Sit back down and take notes before I send you to the principle."

Chuckling softly to herself, Rogue wasn't surprised when another note landed on her desk.

__

That was fun. : ) Anyway what about that ride, chere?

Rogue smiled and rewrote her answer. This time she pretended to strentch and dropped the note behind her on Gambit's desk. Soon the note appeared again and Rogue opened it.

__

Gambit must say that Rogue does have a cute ass. He must, also, say that he is so glad to sit behind you ^_^

Rogue blushed and looked over her shoulder. Gambit, meanwhile, was pulling off a look of forged innocence and looking up at the ceiling. Turning around she quickly wrote out her message (_stop looking and pay attention to class)_ and handed it back.

__

Gambit would rather pay attention to you any day, the note said when it was returned, making Rogue melt automatically. 

"Remy and Rogue, I'm sending you to the principle's office," the teacher called out, all her patience gone for the two of them. "Maybe that will stop you're rowdy behavior in my classroom."

Gambit immedaitely stood up and Rogue followed, her belongings in her arms. Collecting their passes from the teacher, they hurried out of the classroom. When they got to the empty hallway they both started to laugh. 

"You got me into trouble, Gambit!" Rogue pointed out.

"Gambit got you? Gambit didn't make you fall out of your seat, did he?"

Rouge doubled over with her laughter. "That was priceless!" when Gambit began to pout, she added, "I'm sorry that your such a klutz. I didn't mean to toss it…"

"Toss? You practically threw it, _chere_!" Gambit replied, smiling.

"I did not! Come on. Someone is bound to hear us," Rogue told him, straightening up and heading down the hallway. "The principle's office is this way."

Gambit quickly caught up with her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Startled, Rogue looked up at him. When he smiled down at her, she blushed and returned one of her own. When they got to the principle's office, she noticed two figures sitting in the chairs next to the door. They both were boys and one was almost sleeping and one was quietly reading from a book.

Jeez, she thought. Troublemakers start their day early.

"John, Piotr, what are you guys doing here?" Gambit asked him. He sounded genuinely surprised.

Rouge gasped. Where these guys the other two Acolytes? 

The one that was sleeping, jerked awake and the one reading calmly looked up at Gambit.Then they looked at eacho ther before murmruring, "Rowdy behavior."

To be continued…. (oh the anxiety of the cliff hanger!)

****

Author's Note: ^____^ I loved writing this chapter! It made me laugh so much! I like John. He's a hoot. There wasn't much Rominess in this chapter. Sorry! But there will be more soon. **nods** Rogue starts taking lessons to control her powers **wink wink** Anyway, the school day continues in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!


	7. A Meeting of Questions

In the Rain by Yui

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the slow update! My computer was acting up and I got lazy. ^__^ Anyway I really want to finish this story for you guys since so many people like it!  Btw, is John's name St. John? If so, I'm sorry I'm just using the John part. ^^;

Disclaimer: I don't own the x-men. I merely borrow the characters for this story ^^

~*~*~*~

Chapter 7

A Meeting of Questions

            "Man, I can't believe that all three of you guys got sent to the principle's office!" Rouge laughed she lead the way to the cafeteria through the crowded hallway with Gambit by her side. "If I didn't know better I'd say you guys are a bunch of trouble makers."

            Gambit smiled wickedly at her, amused by her banter, and replied, "Are you forgetting, chere, that you were there as well?"

            "You're just a bad influence on me, Gambit. Before you came I was a goody-goody," she said, making him chuckle.

            "It's a sin to lie, love," he told her.

            Rogue tried to look insulted. "What? You don't believe me?"

             "Not one bit," he answered, shaking his head.

            She just stuck out her tongue in reply. "So how the rest of your morning classes at Bayville High?"

            At her question, Gambit offered a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his urban hair. "Boring as hell," he admitted with a slight pout.

            Rouge snickered. "I could have told you that."

            Gambit winked at her and quickly pulled her into his arms in the crowded hallway despite her yelp of surprise. "But it's much better with you, chere. Though Gambit did mange to have some fun in gym class. You should have been there. John set the climbing rope on fire."

            Rogue was stunned. "Are you serious?"

            "_Oui, chere_," he replied, smiling. "But there was no damage. The little ember was put out with the extinguisher. Still it gave us a good laugh."

            "Damn, you guys cause more trouble at this school than the Brotherhood," Rogue teased.

            "The Brotherhood, right. They are the ones Mystic commands, _non_?"

            "Yeah. They can be pretty unruly sometimes. You might wanna be a little cautious of the Brotherhood at school," Rouge told him. "They might wanna start somethin' with you."

            "Gambit should tell Pyro that soon," Gambit said with a grin. "He'd pick a fight with anyone who looks at him the wrong way."

            "John seems really hot-headed," Rogue put in. 

            "He can be sometimes but he is always genuine and honest," Gambit replied. "It's a good thing Piotr is so nonchalant. Nothing can really faze him, not even John's colorful vocabulary."

            Rogue smiled. "And where do you fit in?"

            "Oh, I be the suave gentleman with enough charm to seduce just about anything, I suppose," Gambit told her, winking.

            "Whatever!" Rogue exclaimed with a wide smile, gently punching his arm. "You also forgot cute but egotistical, Gambit."

            "You think Gambit is cute?" he asked.

            "Did I say that?" Rogue teased, frowning in contemplation. "I meant adorable."

            "Like puppy adorable?" He looked faintly alarmed.

            "Of course! With your big brown eyes and your big flopping ears!" Rogue laughed as her hand snaked up to tug at Gambit's ear playfully.

            "Ep!" Gambit quickly evaded her touch and jumped back, holding his ear. 

            "Oh, are you ticklish?"

            "Like, Gambit would really trust you with that information, chere!" he laughed.

            "Lair," Rogue accused. She moved closer to Gambit with an impish smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. 

            Gambit quickly stepped out of her range. "Stay away from Gambit," he told her. "He knows what you are going to do."

            "All right. Fine," she pouted, clasping her hands behind her back. "I won't tickle you anymore. I promise."

            "That's a good _fille_," he replied with a smile as he pulled her back into his arms. He lowered his face to hers and continued, "If I be cute like a puppy you should know that a pup has a very curious tongue." To demonstrate, he stuck out his tongue and acted as if he were going to lick the side on her face.

            "Get away from me!" Rogue yelped in surprise. Laughing she pushed Gambit away from her. "Bad puppy." 

            Unfortunately she wasn't looking who was behind Gambit and he ended up bumping into the biggest jerk in school, Mike Colby, and a bunch of his stupid posse. Mike was an overbearing football player and was known for picking on his fellow mutant schoolmates ruthlessly.

            "Hey, watch where you are going, dick!" he exclaimed, scowling menacingly at Gambit. Ready to push him into the lockers, Gambit turned sharply around and jumped backwards with the grace of a cat, before Mike had the chance.

            "Just as accident, ami," Gambit replied when he regain his footing next to Rogue. "No need to get your panties in a knot."

            Mike glowered, narrowing his eyes, as he looked Gambit's tall, willowy figure over as if analyzing him. "Hey, you're the fucking freak that almost blew up my girlfriend!" Mike accused after a second. "She told me everything. I'm gonna pound you into next week! No one treats Michelle like that and gets away with it!"

            "A mere firecracker," Gambit told him without baiting so much as an eye. "No one dies of a firecracker."

            "Whatever, mutant. She said that you lit up a card and gave it to her," Mike said, scowling in his plain hostility while popping his knuckles threateningly "We don't much like your kind here at school. Maybe I'll show you what we do to get rid of the freaks."

            Gambit just shrugged apathetically. Rogue was on edge as she watched the scene by his side, the anxiety in the pit of her stomach growing every second. She knew that Mike was a big guy with a tiny temper but Gambit didn't. She did didn't know if he could protect himself if Mike choose to start a fight. With her stomach tightening in nerves, she realized that she didn't want Gambit to be hurt. 

            "Gambit, let's just go," she started to say. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the football player and his brainless lackeys. "Forget him. He ain't worth it."

            "Yeah, listen to your mutant girlfriend," Mike teased with an ugly smirk on his face as he friends laughed as he forcefully stabbed a finger into Gambit's chest. "Get out of my face before I pound it in."

            Rouge felt her face grow red in embarrassment "Shut up, Mike," she snapped.

            "What is it, Rouge? Scared that I might hurt your boyfriend?" he questioned. 

            She frowned and slowly started to remove the glove covering her pale hand. She never thought to actually touch Mike with it (the thought of having a piece of him inside her was totally disgusting). She just wanted to frighten him a bit. "No. If anyone's gonna be hurtin', it's gonna be you, Mike," she threatened, flexing her naked hand.

            "Chere…"

            Mike sniggered. "Ooh, what are you going to do if I don't, Rogue? Shock me to death? Put me in a coma?" he asked. "Or are you going to give me a major boner because you're dressed like that?" 

            Rogue scowled, wanting nothing more than to ugly smack the smirk right off his face. But Gambit bet her to it. With surprising strength, Gambit grabbed the collar of Mike's expensive letterman's jacket and slammed his bulky body into the nearest lockers. Rogue as well as Mike's friends and the students in the hallway just looked on, too shocked to do anything else but watch in disbelief.

            "Didn't your mama teach you to talk nice to the ladies?" Gambit growled, tightening his hold on Mike's jacket.

            Rogue watched helplessly as Mike began to gasp for breath, his face turning red with lack of air. Her eyes shot back to Gambit, startled to see the steely hostility in his eyes. He didn't seem like the same Gambit to her anymore. What was happening to him? She'd never seen him act so dangerous, not even when they met on the battlefield.

            "Let me go. You're so dead!" Mike wheezed out, his hands shooting up to scratch Gambit's own. "I'll get you for this, you freak!"

            "Gambit doesn't think so," Gambit replied. He smirked as he charged Mike's jacket. The students watching gasped at the hot yellow sparks in surprise. 

            "Stop!" Mike gasped out, his eyes widening in fright. "It's too hot! It's burning!"

            "Gambit, stop!" Rogue shouted. She grabbed a hold on Gambit's arms and tried to pull him away from Mike. "Don't do this! He ain't worth it!"

            As if seeing Rogue there for the very first time, Gambit looked down at her and blinked. Then he slowly looked back at Mike and frowned. He uncharged the glowing jacket and slowly released him. Gambit stepped back as Mike dropped to the floor, panting and holding his bruised neck. 

            "You…stupid…mutant…"he gasped, throwing of his smoking jacket. 

            "Let's just get out of here," one of Mike's friends said, his voice shaken. They helped Mike stand and retreated down the hallway, Mike throwing a nasty look over his shoulder.

            "Don't think I won't get you for this!"

            When they were gone, the tension in the air faded a little. Rogue let out her breath that she had been holding and muttered, "Damn." With the show over, the other students slowly went on their way until she and Gambit were the only ones left in the hallway.

            "Gambit?" she tentatively asked. He was standing motionlessly with his hands at his sides, still looking at the lockers were he held Mike. Rogue quickly pulled on her glove and placed a hand on his shoulder.

            "I'm sorry, chere," he replied softly, glancing down at her. "You shouldn't have seen that."

            "It's all right, Gambit," Rogue told him, slowly rubbing his back. She was faintly relieved to see the deadly look in his eyes gone. 

            "It's just like last time," he muttered to himself with a heavy sigh.

            Rogue was confused for a moment, wondering what he meant, but she didn't push him to explain. "Let's just go to the cafeteria, all right?" she said. "Mike's a big jerk. Don't think about it too much." 

            "Maybe Gambit should go cool his head some?"

            "No way," Rouge argued, vehemently. "I ain't gonna let you out of my sight. Mike and his friends might gang up on you or something. I ain't gonna let that happen."

            "All right, chere," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper, as Rouge clasped her hand in his and led the way to the cafeteria.

            "Man, you look like you've seen a ghost, Remy!" John exclaimed, popping up beside Gambit in the crowded lunchroom. "Hey, Rogue."

            "Hi, John. We just had a little run in with some jerk football players in the hallway," she told him. 

            "Are you shitting me?" John asked. He sounded highly disappointed. "Was there a fight or something?"

            "Oui," Gambit replied without much humor.

            "And I missed it? Damn it! You have al the fun!" John griped.

            Gambit offered a half-smile and asked, "Where's Piotr?"

            "His sitting down, trying to decide what the hell the cafeteria ladies served us," he replied in a huff. "He says it's meatloaf but I say it's jelly meat. It wiggles, man! Wiggles! Meat ain't suppose to wiggle!"

            Rogue chuckled at John's unchecked fervor and offered, "It's mystery meat. No one's sure what it is."

            John's face twisted up with disgust. "Oh yuck! I should tell Piotr that. He eats just about anything. Hey, you guys wanna sit with us? We got a table all by our lonesome."

            "Umm…" Rogue's eyes darted to where she normally ate with Jean, Scott, Kurt and Kitty and saw Scott's obvious disapproval clear across the cafeteria as he watched her. Rogue glared back at him. "Sure, John," she replied. "There's anarchy at my table at the moment."

            "Great. Come on." 

            "Hey, Rogue!" Kitty called out, hurrying over to her, lunch in hand. "Can I sit with you today? Scott is, like, being a totally jerk!" 

            "Sure. But I'm sitting with Gambit and his friends today."

            "That's totally okay," Kitty said, smiling at Gambit. "Long time so see. How do you like Bayville so far, Gambit?"

            Gambit smile back and said, "Could be worse, chere."

            "Do you mind me, like, butting in?"

            "'Course not."

            "Great!" Kitty exclaimed, blushing slightly. "Oh, like, hi, John."

            The fiery acolyte suddenly looked like a frightened deer caught in headlights. His face glowed with a faint blush as Kitty flashed him a bright smile. "Er…hi, Kitty" he muttered. "Um…I'll show you to our table. You can meet Piotr too."

            "Great. Like, led the way."

            Rogue laughed as she watched John and Kitty walk away. "Does John have a crush on Kitty?" she asked.

            Gambit smiled and said, "I can't spill his secrets, chere." He then grabbed Rogue's hand and walked over to the lunch line. When they got their lunch, they found their table and sat down. Kitty was talking to Piotr but the quite Russian only listened as he ate his meal without comment. John was busy poking the jelly meat with his fork, frowning when it quivered. 

            "Man, I fucking hate school and I've only been here a couple of hours!" John grumbled, now squishing the meatloaf only to rebuild it to look like a small fortress and Kitty and Rogue watched on in amusement. "The food looks like something out of a science lab. The teachers have no fucking sense of humor. It's fucking amazing you two girls haven't gone completely nutters."

            "Watch your language around de ladies, John," Gambit told him.

            "Shut up, Gambit. I'm sure de said ladies have heard worse."

            "Touché." Gambit reached over and placed a large cup into front of John. "Here. Drink you nasty coffee and be quiet."

            "Ooh!" John's eyes quickly lit up like candles as he abandoned fort to pounce on the cup. He chugged the bitter liquid down like it was water. 

            "Um…if that's coffee, should you, like, let him drink that stuff?" Kitty asked, a little nervous as she watched John inhale the drink.

            "Yeah. He's kinda hyperactive already," Rogue whispered to Gambit, so John couldn't overhear. "That'll make him bounce of the walls."

            Gambit just smiled and replied, "Coffee is just like water to him. His body doesn't know that difference anymore he's drunk so much of it."

            "Done!" John suddenly called out, breathless, as he slammed the empty mug down on the table.

            Kitty's eyes widened. "You're, like, totally kidding, right?"

            "15 seconds," Gambit murmured. "Not bad, John."

            John shrugged. "I've done better," he replied before turning back to his creation. 

             Not know what she just saw, Rogue found it hard to look away from John. He really was something. 

            "Man, I wanna fucking go home!" John announced, looking at the fork as if he was contemplating to slit his throat with it. "Why are we even here?" 

            "Magneto," Piotr replied, his soft voice heard by everyone. Kitty glanced nervously at Piotr.

            "Don't think you came her to start anything, missy. Because we ain't," John told Kitty. "It's just that bastard has nothing for us to do so he tells us to enroll here while he's prancing around France! Why doesn't he tell us to steal diamonds or something instead? Anything is better than taking astrophysics. Blah!"

            Kitty smiled a little and asked, "Um…Did you, like, work out your schedule, John?"

            He frowned and replied. "Nope. I'm stuck with it until the end of the semester."

            "I'm, like, sorry to hear that. Maybe I could, like, help you with it sometime? I'm pretty good with that stuff," Kitty offered. "You missed today's assignment and we have a quiz on Friday."

            "Bloody hell! Really?!"

            Kitty nodded. "Yeah."

            "Damn it. I need all the help I can get," John murmured. "Hey, do you want to come over after school? The warden is away so I think it will be fine. Right, guys?"

            "I don't have a problem with it," Gambit told him. Piotr shrugged.

            "You guys have a warden?"

            "It's bloody unfortunately," John told her. "You've probably seen him. You really can't miss the big loser. About Seven foot, long shaggy hair, smells like a wet dog."

            "Sabertooth?"

            John nodded. "He makes a very bad nanny. Of course we try to make his lot a living hell but what can you expect from three teenage boys? One time the shithead wanted us to train on a Saturday and none of us wanted to do it. So Piotr turned himself metal and grabbed Sabby, and tied him down outside, using a couple metal rods that Gambit charged up. And I put a wall of fire around the guy and we sat down and watched Sabby try to get free. It was priceless!" 

            Rouge laughed in disbelief. "You guys must be pretty brave to do that to Sabertooth." Brave and powerful, she thought.

            "Brave? Nah, bored was more like it," John replied with a smile. "Picking on Sabby when Magneto's not looking is our hobby. 'Course Sabby will never tell Magneto that he's having trouble with the new recruits. Doesn't wanna sound like a fucking pansy."

            "Do you guys, like, live together?" Kitty asked.

            "Like one big happy family," Gambit replied.

            "That's totally cool. Rouge and me live with a whole bunch of mutants too. It's like a boarding house."

            "Neat. So you wanna come over sometime?"

            "Sure. Just as long as, like, don't kidnap me or something like that."

            "Well, if we did, you'd make the prettiest hostage I've ever seen, Kitty cat," John replied, winking over at her.  

            Rouge suddenly remembered something and her mood quickly turned sour. "Damn it. Speaking of tests, I forgot that there's going to be a test in French tomorrow!"

            "Over what, chere?" Gambit asked.

            Rouge racked her brain. "I think over a couple of verbs like avoir and faire and a shitload of vocab." She buried her face in his hands. "I'm screwed."

            "Since Kitty is coming over, why don't you?" he told her. "I can help you with your French."

            "Really?"

            "It'll be, like, a total study group," Kitty said. 

            "Not bad Piotr doesn't have anyone to bring over," John put in, smiling at the stoic boy across the table. 

            "I wouldn't want to bring anyone over," Piotr said, looking up from his lunch. "Your cooking might kill them, or harm them internally."

            "Hey!" John gasped. "No one's ever killed the bucket by eating instant rice!"

            "But instant rice mixed with chili pepper and hot sauce might make someone stomach disagree with them very badly," Gambit said.

            "If you don't like how I take my rice then you shouldn't let me do the cooking, pretty boy."

            Rogue smiled to herself as the comfortable jesting flew around the table. It was just like the interactions of the students at the Institute. The Acolytes really seemed to enjoy being together, being a little family of brothers. And that was why it was so odd that they were with Magneto. None of them seemed particually bad, with the exception of Gambit's outburst earlier. If Magneto had a hold on the boys somehow, she just hoped that the professor would know what it was soon and help them out of their non-consensual fellowship with Magneto before it was too late.

~*~*~*~

           Rouge was glad that the school day was finally over but that didn't last for long. She still had detention with that old Mrs. McPherson hag until six in the evening. Glowering, she threw her books into her bag and slammed her locker closed.

            "Whoa, chere," Gambit said behind her as she almost ran into him. 

            "Oh, sorry!" she replied, stepping back. "I didn't see ya there."

            "S'okay. Gambit can be too sneaky sometimes. What's with the long face, chere?"

            "Nothing," Rouge told him, sighing deeply. "I just have to go to detention again."

            "That's too bad," he offered. 

            "Yeah. I have detention all this week. Anyway, it'll be a little late when Kitty and I get over to your house if you don't mind."

            "That's not a problem, chere. Our house is always open."

            "Good because I need all the help I can get with my French," Rouge replied, smiling. 

            "Are you two sure that you won't let Gambit pick you up?"

            She nodded. "That'll probably make Scott flip out more. Don't worry. I have your address. We'll be fine. So, I'll see you later. Okay?"

            Gambit nodded. "Until then." He grabbed her hand, pressed his lips against the smooth leather covering her knuckles before turning and walking away.

            Rouge watched him leave, a deep brush covering her face. Gingerly she touched the spot he kissed with her fingertips and felt warmth run throughout her body. 

            "Oh, that was, like, totally sweet!" Kitty exclaimed, suddenly at Rouge's side.

            "Don't tell me you saw that!" Rouge replied, mortified as her eyes snapped to Kitty's heart-shaped face.

            The girl grinned and nodded. "Yeah and so did the rest of the kids in the hallway! Man, you guys are so cute together! I can't believe how, like, girlie you are with Gambit."

            Rouge frowned, irritated. "I ain't girlie, Kitty."

            "Whatever," she replied dismissively as she rolled her blue eyes. "You totally, like, blush whenever you talk to ore him. And you smile a lot more."

            "Oh, god, really?" Abashed, Rouge's hands shot up to cover her warm face. "I blush?"

            "Don't be embarrassed," Kitty giggled affectionately. "It's really, like, adorable. I bet Gambit thinks it's totally cute."

            "Oh, god, now I'm cute? What next? I'm I gonna start wearing pink or something?"

            "Whatever. Everyone is talking about how good you guys go together," Kitty told her. "Everyone thinks Gambit is your boyfriend."

            Rouge paled, completely horrified by the news. "Everyone?" she asked. "But it's just the first day…we hardly…my _boyfriend?!"_

            "Well, duh. When Tamara asked me if it was true that he was your boyfriend, I couldn't, like, deny it with you just being all chummy" Kitty said. 

            "You didn't! She's the biggest gossip in the school! Besides, Gambit and I hardly know each other, Kitty."

            "So?"

            "We are just friends!" Rouge argued. "Not even that. We just met over the weekend!"

            "No one is 'just friends' anymore, Rouge. Don't you want Gambit as a boyfriend?" Kitty asked. "I totally thought you did. Why else are you guys always together? Why else would you, like, skip school with him? Why else would he, like, go shopping for you when you were sick? And, like, don't say it's dumb luck either. You totally know you like him and want to be his girlfriend. You guys are totally perfect for each other!"

            Rouge frowned, crossing her arms in her mounting frustration. "Well, it would be a pointless relationship, Kitty! We couldn't touch each other! Were is the fun in that?"

            "Well, maybe Gambit is not, like, interested in that?" Kitty suggested. 

            "Kitty, we've been through this before!" she argued. "Things like holding hands and kissing must cross his mind from time to time. Gambit ain't a saint you know."

            "Yeah, and he isn't your, like, average teenage boy, either. And if touching means so much to you why don't you start taking some lessons from the professor to, like, control your powers? Jean does sometimes. It's not, like, impossible, you know."

            Rouge shrugged. "I dunno. Listen, let's talk about this later, all right? I have to go to detention."

            "Are we still heading over to their house later?" Kitty asked.

            "Yeah. Can you wait here until six? We can walk over from here."

            "Sure. See ya later!" Kitty said before turning and walking down the hallway. "I'll, like, be in the library."

            "Okay. See ya, Kitty." With that, Rouge headed towards Mrs. McPherson classroom to endure three hours of hell.

To be continued….

**Author's Note: It's finally done! Yay! But I dun know if I like the chapter much. It's not my favorite. Maybe I'm just being too critical. What do you guys think? Do you guys like it? 8 is on the way. (I have a cute idea for it) I swear I will finish this story! ^___^ Thanks so much for reading and being patient with me. I love you guys! **


	8. A Meeting of Truth

In the Rain by Yui 

**Author's Note:** the day I updated the story to chapter 7 I stayed up until three writing most of 8! That's bloody unbelievable! Inspiration is a lovely thing. Anyway, the plot is thickening! More mysterious and questions to be asked and answered along with a spicy kissing scene! (Oh al la) I'm so glad chapter 7 was reviewed nicely! I really thought that it wouldn't do so well. I really appreciate it, guys. Anyway much more Romyness in this chapter. John had his fifteen minutes of fame. Now it's Piotr's turn! I wonder what could happen! ^___^ I know what happens, but I'm not telling!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the x-men. Never have, never will. I just borrow the characters for my own amusement. Please dun sue me!

~*~*~*~

Chapter 8

A Meeting of Truth

            "I'm glad to see that you are finally on time for once," Mrs. McPherson snickered unpleasantly from her desk as Rouge walked into the empty classroom. The old hag gestured to a pile of papers near her with one long bony finger. "You know the drill. Drop your bag and start grading these tests. And do hurry up. I need them done by four so I can book them."

            Rouge frowned and muttered a strained, "Yes, ma'am." She walked up the to desk, roughly snatched the stack of papers, and found a seat to work at. 

She sighed as she fingering through the thick pile. It was unbelievable. How many tests could a single teacher give her students? If Rouge didn't know better she would have thought the hag made countless of unnecessary test just to have Rouge grade them forever.  But she knew that complaining didn't solve anything so she forced herself to swallow her aversion and began to grade the first paper. 

Silence filled the room and for a brief moment she realized that she might actually leave early today. The hag wasn't giving a boring lecture about god knows what and if Rouge kept working she could finish the test in an hour. It was too perfect.

            _Rustle…rustle…creak…_

            Disgruntled at the disrupted silence, Rouge glanced forward and scowled. The hag was sitting at her desk, idly looking through the newspaper and sipping her tea as if she didn't have anything better to do. 

            If she needed something to do she should get off her lazy ass and help me, Rouge thought. 

            Mrs. McPherson continued to slurp her tea and read the newspaper ungodly loudly until Rouge made herself to ignore the irritating sounds and concentrate on grading. The hag was probably just doing it to piss her off anyway.

            _Slurp…sluuuuurp…rustle…rustle_

Biting her lower lip, Rouge angrily pushed the red pen into the test hard enough to rip the paper a little.  

            "Tsk, tsk," the hag's soft murmur came from the deck.

            Rouge tried to ignore it and continued to work. The hag was probably just disappointed that Dr. Laura hadn't put up her Q&A in the paper that day.

            "Tsk, tsk, all the trouble down in New Orleans," she muttered under her breath. "Rivaling gangs, murders unsolved. Hoodlums every last one of them."

            Rouge's interest was suddenly peaked. "What did you say?" she asked sharply. "What about New Orleans?"

            Mrs. McPherson scowled at Rouge over the top of the newspaper. "I thought I told you to grade those tests, miss. And I must say, I don't know how I feel about you eavesdropping on me. What if I had been talking privately with someone? Shame on you, Rouge. Be a young lady and learn some manners."

            Rouge glared at the hag. "If you hadn't been talking so loudly, I wouldn't have heard you over the cumulating dust," she replied. "Now will you just…"

            The intercom turned on, fuzzed for a moment, and soon a hazy voice came over the air. "Mrs. McPherson?" it asked politely.

A look of annoyance passed the hag ancient face as she puckered her lips with disrelish. "What is it?" she called out in an unladylike bark.

            "You have a telephone call. They say it's urgent."

            "All right. I'm coming down."

            The intercom clinked off and Mrs. McPherson climbed to her feet. "I'll trust that you wouldn't steal anything or run away while I'm gone, miss. I'll be back before you know it," she threatened as she tossed down her paper and walked out of the classroom.

            Rouge waited a moment after the door shut to slide out of her seat and hurry towards the hag's orderly desk. She snatched the newspaper and pulled it open, searching for the right article.

            _"'Murders in the mysterious bayous of Louisiana still go unanswered'?" Rouge said aloud as she read__. " '10 years since the rivaling gangs of thieves announced New Orleans as their territory, an unprecedented number of people have lost their lives to the violence of the gang wars, the latest murder happeningly only 7 months ago. The murder victims had all been members of different gangs and so far no one has been prosecuted for the murders. Jesus Christ!"_

            Rouge set the newspaper down and tried to swallowed but found that her mouth was unbearably dry. "Those poor bastards," she murmured to herself. "New Orleans sure must be a dangerous place now. No wonder Gambit left."

~*~*~*~

            "Man, that was, like, totally fun!" Kitty exclaimed, smiling, as she and Rouge walked home from the Acolytes home. "That was, like, the best study session I've ever went to."

            "Between John making fire animals from his lighter and Piotr adding the soundtrack to it, I have no idea where studying came into the picture," Rouge replied, sounding more than a little angry.

            "Hey, we, like, got a good hour in before all hell broke loose," Kitty told her. "And if memory serves me right you and Gambit where doing just fine when you got up and left us, like, saying it was so noisy to study."

            "Well it was!" Rouge snapped malignantly.

            Kitty looked a little shocked by Rouge's sour behavior. "Like, what's wrong with you, Rouge?" she demand. "I saw you walking alone with Gambit outside. How can you be so mad?"

            Rouge frowned and stopped walking. "It's a long story, Kitty," she said after a moment, running her hands through her hair.  

            "What happened?"

            "I've just been…picking up clues about Gambit and," Rouge paused. "God, I hope I'm wrong about this."

            Kitty looked a little scared. "Wrong about, like, what? Tell me because this is totally freaking me out."

            Rouge sighed. "Fine. I'll tell ya."

~*~*~*~

            Rouge was five seconds away from closing her book and slamming it into John's obnoxious head. She didn't care if that started a war between the Acolytes and the X-men. She just wanted the kid to shut up so she could study. And she wasn't about to let Piotr or Kitty off either. It was Piotr's fault that all the noise and commotion started. He was the one who made the pot of coffee that John all but inhaled. Kitty was busy laughing up a storm with John making a fiery Sabertooth dance around in a dress from his lighter and egging him on.

            Rouge felt a comforting hand on hers. Frowning, her eyes snapped to Gambit. They were sitting on the couch with Kitty, John, and Piotr sitting on the floor next to the long coffee table that served as a dance floor for the mini warden at the moment.

            "It ain't worth it, chere," he told her, shaking his head. "They are just having some fun."

            "Yay, well, while they are having some fun, my brain is turning to mush trying to learn my French over the damn noise!" Rouge growled.

            "You poor baby," Gambit purred, reaching to run his fingers through her thick brown hair. With his other hand, he closed the French workbook. "You've studied enough for now, chere. Why don't we take a break?"

            Rouge sighed and massaged her aching neck. "_Très bonne idée_," she murmured hesitantly in French. "A break sounds great."  (That's a very good idea)

            Gambit smiled proudly. _"Tres bien, chere_. Let's get some fresh air from outside. Too stuffy and loud in here." He stood up and held out his hand for Rouge to take. (Very good, dear)

            "Oh la la, we be the Gambit and Rouge going?" John asked teasingly as he looked up from the fountain of fire he was controlling. There was a goofy grin plastered to his face. 

            "Break," Gambit replied, leading them out of the living room. 

            "Hmm, sure," John murmured, effortlessly changing the fire to a picturesque figure of two people kissing. Kitty and Piotr laughed.

            Rouge glared at him but Gambit wordlessly pulled out a couple of cards, kinetically charged them, and threw them over his shoulders. The three other mutants had to dive for safety as the dangerous cards flew everywhere.

            "Come on, chere," Gambit said, pulling Rouge out of the living room. "Wouldn't want you to be hurt." He led her to the front door just as a loud boom and several surprised yelps came from down the hall. Rouge jumped but still smiled.

            "You sure they aren't hurt?"

            Gambit wicked at her as he pulled open the door. "_Oui, chere_."

            Rouge trusted his word and let him grab her hand and lead her into the cool evening air outside. Rouge took a deep breath of air, feeling the chilly air waking her up. The Acolytes house was deep enough in the surrounding tress to make the air feel fresh and exhilarating.

            "It's so nice out tonight," Rouge murmured. She glanced up into the sky and was pleased to see a few tiny stars twinkling as the sun set in a blaze of colors. "I hardly ever get to enjoy the evening at the Institute. Everyone is so loud. No one really stops to smell the roses, ya know? Logan, er, Wolverine found out how much I lot looking up at the sky at night so he fixed me a spot on the roof so that I could sit up there and just look without having any distractions."

            "That must be nice," Gambit said, beginning to stroll slowly away from the house. "To have some one look out for you like that."

            Rouge shrugged. "That kind of treatment doesn't happen very often with so many of us living under one roof," she replied, walking beside Gambit. "You of all people should know how that is."

            Gambit chuckled. "John, god bless 'im, can wake the dead if he really wanted too."

            Rouge smiled. They let a comfortable silence settle between them and they walked side my side. The only noise was from the gentle breeze that stirred the leaves of the trees and their feet crunching twigs underfoot as they moved. It really was a beautiful night out. Peaceful, too. Rouge glanced at Gambit from the corner of her eye. The company wasn't half-bad either, she remarked, smiling to herself.

            Gambit looked over at her and caught her blatant stare. Contrite, she quickly looked away into the darkening grove, her face growing hot.

            "What are you thinking about, _chere_?" his whispered voice was like heat ready to make her melt.

            "That I hope to God I'm not blushing," she replied in a strained voice, making Gambit laugh. 

            "Where did that come from?"

            "Kitty told me that I blush when…when I talk to you." She looked over at him. "Do I?"

            Gambit looked over at her and smiled when he saw her trying to hide her face behind her hands. "I'm afraid so," he murmured, pulling her hands away. "But you have nothing to hide, chere. You're face so beautiful and the blush is endearing."

            Rouge frowned. "It's damn embarrassing, Gambit. That's what it is."

            "Why?"

            "Because I'm not suppose to blush," Rouge said, exasperated. "If you hadn't noticed, people like me aren't suppose to blush. Before you came, I was fine. I didn't smile, hardly laughed, and never once blushed when a boy so much as looked at me! I was proud in the fact that I could make myself so tough that no one would think about hurting me. Now you're here and my guard flies out the window and I turn into a pile of simpering goo! It's unbelievable!"  

            "My apologies, chere," Gambit chuckled, grabbing her hand. 

            "What is your secret?" she murmured to herself. "What is it about you that me want to trust you?"

            Gambit shrugged and replied, "There is no secret about Gambit. There is nothing special."

            "Well, whatever it is, it breaks my defenses like nothing I've seen."

"If you don't mind me saying, Gambit prefers this Rogue over the other one. Like this, you seem so human." He moved closer to her and raised a hand to her face, his gloved finger hovering over her flushed skin. "You seem so soft, so touchable, just like the first time I saw you, when you are like this" he purred, stroking her face. "Your big green eyes get drowsy. Your cheeks get rosy and your lips part…" he traced her bottom lip with his thumb, his dark demon eyes lingering on her mouth as he drew closer.

            Her heart skipped a bit and she nervously swallowed. "Just stop, Gambit," she begged, weakly trying to push him away. "Please don't do this to me." She shouldn't get any closer to him. It would be too dangerous. But, like a searching moth to a light, she was drawn to him, to his warmth, his charm.

            "Do what, chere?" he asked.

"Don't you know who I am?" she asked, her voice almost breaking. "_What_ I am? What I'm capable of?"

            "_Oui, chere," Gambit sighed. "I know."_

            When he stepped away from her she felt like she could break down and cry like a baby. She could still him around her. Damn, she wished with all her might, that she could kiss Gambit. Never before had she wanted to touch someone since she discovered her powers. Why did he have to be so goddamn sweet and sexy? The combination killed her! 

She felt tears rise up and blur her vision. She closed her eyes so that Gambit wouldn't see. After a moment, she felt a tickling at her throat and hurt fabric race across skin as it was pulled away. Rouge opened her eyes and looked at Gambit. He was holding her scarf in his hands. Automatically her hands shot up to her throat and found that her skin was bare.

            What was Gambit up too? She wondered.

            He stepped towards her once more and she could see the gentleness in his brilliant crimson eyes. Slowly, he raised the fine fabric up until it was covering her face like a mask. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was doing and her heart sped up. But she didn't stop him. 

            She closed her eyes when he lowered his face to hers and felt his lips touch her gently through the thin material. The kiss was soft and innocent, making Rouge's inside turn into maudlin slush. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close to his warm body. Not sure what to do but loving every minute of it, she hesitantly raised her hands and rested them against his chest. Through all the fabric sheltering her palms, she could still feel his heart racing in his chest. That made her smile.

            When Gambit pulled back a bit, ending the sweet smooch, Rouge sucked in a deep breath, a little out of breath. He smiled down at her and kissed her for a second time. She sighed into the kiss, loving the feel of his lips on hers. Her mounting desire getting the best of her, Rouge parted her lips a little. Gambit took the hint and deepened the kiss. 

            She made a little sound in the back of her throat when she felt him press his tongue pass her swollen lips but she eagerly accepted him and gingerly brushed his tongue with her own. It felt a little strange with the moist scarf between them but Rouge didn't care. All she knew was that this was her very first kiss and she loved it! 

She quickly got over her timidness, and the kiss turned very warm very quickly. Over and over, Gambit's mouth slanted over hers. Lips meshed and tongues caressed despite the barrier the scarf served as. Rouge moaned softly, pressed herself against Gambit as she threw her arms around his neck, holding him close. It felt like she couldn't get enough of his touch.  He was intoxicating. 

            Finally they were both breathless and weak from the enticing kiss to last any longer. Flushed and a little dazed, Rouge could hardly stand on her own when the kiss ended. 

            "Damn," she panted, pulling the scarf away from her face with one hand. Still, holding on to Gambit, she collapsed in his arms and buried her burning face in his shirt. He laughed gently, holding her tight.

            "Damn is right," he murmured softly, running a hand through her hair. "That was some kiss, chere."

            Rouge nodded wordlessly. This was the closest she had ever gotten to touch someone. She found it a little overwhelming. She felt her throat tighten up and she knew that she was going to cry soon if she didn't stop herself immediately. 

            "Chere?"

            "It's nothing, Remy," she sniffled quickly. "Just a little light headed."

            A finger placed under her chin forced her to raise her head. She met Gambit's stare and offered a small smile as her eyes filled with tears.

            "S'okay, love," he whispered, stroking her face.

            "I don't want you to think of me as sentimental kinda gal or something like that," Rouge told him as she wiped away her tears and sniffed. 

            "Remy would never think to do so," he replied gently.

            Rouge smiled sheepishly up at him. "Ya know, people at school think we're going out," she told him.

            Gambit grinned back. "Ain't surprised. When they asked, Remy hinted to the possibility."

            Rouge was floored. "You didn't!"

            He shrugged. "Guilty as charged, chere."'

            "So," Rouge murmured shyly. "You want me to be your girlfriend?"

            Gambit lowered his face to hers. "_Oui_," he replied, all humor gone from his voice.

            "But it couldn't work out," Rouge said. "I mean, look at us. I'm an x-man and you're an Acolyte. What if…"

            "Magneto is away on vacation. What he don't know won't hurt him," Gambit told her. "What do you say? Would you take this lowly swamp rat to be your boyfriend, chere?"

            Rouge smiled and nodded silently. 

            Gambit looked relieved as he straightened up. Grabbing her hand, he said, "Come on. Let's go inside before they blow up the house or something."

            Rouge laughed. "Jeez, between living in a house with a guy like John or living in New Orleans with the gang wars, I don't know which one is better."

            She had meant it as a small joke but Gambit didn't laugh. Instead he stopped walking and stood completely still. Rouge squeezed his hand.

            "Remy, are you all right?"

            "What did you say?" His voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible.

            Rouge gave him a quizzical look and didn't answer. He turned to her sharply. 

            "How do you know about the gangs of New Orleans!?" He practically yelled at her. There was a stormy look of anger and anxiety going in his eyes.

            Rouge jumped back. "I read it in the newspaper today," she stammered, flustered. "There was an article about all the homicides down there that are never solved and how the gangs are so violent. There was a gang-related murder only seven months ago…"

            Even in the thickening darkness, Rouge could see the murderous red of Gambit's eyes. And he didn't look happy.

            "What's wrong? I'm sorry if I said anything wrong," she pleaded. "I didn't mean to upset you."

            Gambit didn't say anything for a moment. He just stared at her. She half expect him to hit her or something and she started to tremble. Finally after a moment he backed away from her. He turned and walked away. Speechless, Rouge watched him disappear into the darkness. She stayed until she heard his heavy footsteps fade away to nothing. Then she turned and hurried toward the house, ready to get Kitty and leave. 

~*~*~*~

            "He, like kissed you?" Kitty asked when Rouge was done with her tale.

            Rouge frowned. "That's not the point, Kitty!"

            "How was it?"

            "Err…nice? Fine. It made me weak in the knee and starry-eyed. Happy now, Kitty?"

            The other girl sighed dreamily and nodded.

            "What am I saying? Haven't you been listening to me, Kitty? I think there is something Remy isn't telling me," Rouge said.

            "What do you mean? Do you, like, think he was involved with the gangs in New Orleans somehow?"

            Rouge shrugged. "I don't know. It seems possible don't you think with the way he acted tonight…" she didn't go on but looked away.

            "Did he really, like, look he'd hit you?" Kitty asked. Her voice was soft as if she was scared to ask.

             Rouge nodded. "Yeah. But he just turned and walked away. It really scared me." She was still trembling when she remembered what happened.

            "Totally! I thought Gambit was, like, totally a good guy."

            "I want to know what he's hiding, Kitty," Rouge murmured. 

            "Maybe Gambit doesn't, like, want you to know?"

            Rouge shook her head. "I don't care. I want to find out. If I'm right, we are probably on the right track to know what Magneto has against Remy. Maybe we can help somehow. I want to help him, Kitty. I want to help all of them."

            "It seems really, like, dishonest. Why don't you just wit until Gambit tells you the full story?" Kitty asked.

            "I don't think he ever will," Rouge sighed, looking up to see the shadowy institute drawing closer. "I'll just have to find out for myself. The professor said that he would look into the Acolytes to see if Magneto was blackmailing them. Maybe he found something tonight."

            Kitty stopped. "Rouge, what if Gambit did some horrible thing? What would you do? Would you stop seeing him?"

            She frowned, contemplating. Finally she shook her head. "No."

            Kitty smiled. "You must really like him."

            "I care for him if that's what you're asking," she said. 

The younger girl's eyes moved past Rouge to look at the institute. Rouge saw her tense. "Um…speaking of professors. Logan's, like, right over there and he doesn't look very happy."

            Surprised, Rouge looked over her shoulder and saw the shadowy figure leaning up against the cast-iron gate, his arms crossed over his chest. Even from a few feet away, she could clearly see Logan's disapproving glower.

            "Shit," she murmured. 

            "We're totally in trouble now," Kitty added.

            "It's good to see that your girls are finally home," Logan said from the gate, slowly straightening up. He looked at one then the other. "So, how are the Acolytes?"

            "Huh? How did you, like, know?" Kitty stammered. "Oh, I, like, totally forgot about your sense of smell…darn it."

            "Nothing happened," Rouge told Logan, walking over to him. "We just studied together."

            "By yourselves?" Logan asked. "Not smart. Three buys against two girls." He shook his head. "Not smart at all."

            "You, like, think they would attack us?" Kitty asked, frowning as she joined Rouge. 

            "Did that thought pass through your mind at all today, half pint?" Logan replied. "You were in enemy territory. It could have happened."

            "Well, nothing did!" Rouge snapped. 

            Logan turned his eyes over to her, his nose twitching a bit as he sniffed the air. Rouge frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Finally Logan shook his head and murmured, "So say the girl with the scent of that swindling Cajun all over her."

            Rouge gasped, looking completely abashed. "Logan, stay out of my business! Now could you please step out of the way? I really would like to speak with the professor. It's urgent."

            Logan frowned at her. "I don't want you doing something that stupid again, you hear?" he questioned. "Never trust the enemy."

            Rouge rolled her eyes and roughly pushed her way passed Logan. "Thanks for the pep talk, dad," she called over her shoulder, "but I can take care of myself." She entered the mansion and quickly found the Professor's office. Hoping that he was in, she knocked gently on the door.

            "Professor?"

            "Come in, Rouge," a voice came from the other side of the room as the door opened by itself. 

            Rouge sucked in the breath and walked in.

            "Good evening, Rouge," the professor greeted from his desk. "Have a seat. We need to talk."

            "All right," she murmured, swallowing nervously. She found a sit by the desk and sat down. "Is it about tonight? About me and Kitty going over to see the Acolytes?"

            The professor shook his bald head as he searched through some papers covering the top of his desk. "No, Rouge, it's not about tonight. Though, to be honest with you, we wouldn't have minded a quick call from you, telling us your plans."

            "I'll keep that in mind," Rouge murmured. "Sorry. I just didn't want you to tell me not to go."

            "I trust you both, Rouge. You can see the good in those three boys and you trust them. Logan, however, cannot at that moment," the professor said. Finally the older man found what he was looking for. He placed three large folders on his desk. Confused, Rouge looked over at him and saw the heaviness weighing down the corners of his mouth.

            "Rouge, I want to talk to you about the Acolytes," he murmured. "After you came to me saying that there was a possibility that the three young men might be in Magneto's charge because of coercion, Storm and myself searched everywhere for the background of the three boys." He sighed deeply. "The search was successful but what we found…" he paused and handed Rouge one folder.

            She took it. "What it is?" she asked, flipping it open. Surprised she saw a photo of John grinning up at her.

            "John Allerdyce's life on paper," the professor remarked somberly. "As you can read, he comes from a very wealthy, powerful, and influential family from Australia. However, that's not all. What people don't know is that the entire family buys and resells drugs in South America. If word got out about that, the house of Allerdyce would fall quickly into the hands of police. Magneto no doubt knows that."

            "Oh, god!" Rouge murmured. "If Magneto knows, and is using that to control John, then John is with him just to protect his family."

            The professor nodded and handed Rouge another file and she quickly flipped through it. "This is Piotr Rasputin," the professor began. "He comes from a small middle-class family from Russia. His father and siblings have all dead from tuberculosis. He was living with only his mother when she was diagnosed with cancer. I looked into her bills from the hospital and found that a man by the name of Erik Lenshire pays the doctors."

            "Magneto?!"

            "Yes, Rouge. I think Piotr is an acolyte because Magneto promised to take care of his mother," the professor said. "If the young man chooses to leave the Acolytes, Magneto could very well retaliate by not paying the hospital and let Piotr's mother die." 

            She frowned. "That's horrible," she murmured softly to herself. "I had no idea."

            "Neither did we until you said something about blackmail," the professor said, shaking his head.

            "What about Gambit, Professor?" She hated to ask but she needed to know.

            Another thick folder was handed to her. "Remy was part of a rivaling gang of thieves in New Orleans for most of his life," he told her. "He made quite a name for himself. Unfortunately, just before he moved to Bayville, well, why don't you read it for yourself, Rouge?"

            She paled and swallowed hard, with trembling hands, she opened the folder and read the contents. Silence filled the air and was only broken by the sound of falling papers when Rouge roughly pushed the folders off her lap as if they were on fire.

            "Oh, god!" she sobbed, burying her tear-stained face in her trembling hands. "Oh god! That's why Magneto has him. He knows that Remy killed someone!"

To be continued….

**Author's Note**: and the truth shall set you free! Well, on a happier note, I'm very pleased with this chapter. But you guys are recovering from the kissing scene or yelling at me, saying cliffhangers are just so evil. Especially cliffhangers involving favorite French swamp rat. Surprised? Shocked? Not really? Is Gambit killing someone to overdone? Oh well, I tried to build some suspense. ^__^ I hope you liked what you read! I really enjoyed writing it. I feel bad for Remy. I think I will go cry. **sobs**


	9. A Meeting of Trust

In the Rain by Yui 

**Author's note:** I'm on a role!  Must type out story…. Anyway, I'm very happy that you guys like the story! ^___^ I don't know what I'm doing but this story has taken a life of it's own. It's totally different then the one I planed in the head! (Then I only had a vague idea of what I wanted) ^__^ I'm glad that Remy killing someone isn't too overdone because I knew he killed someone in the comics. That's a load of my shoulder! 

BTW sorry about the grammatical errors and spelling Rogue's name wrong. I had no idea! **totally mortified** And sorry about the odd pairing and writing Piotr's history wrong. I mean what is this? Fanfiction? No…wait. It is. My bad. ^___^ More Piotr is coming up in this chapter. Where did that cute Russian run off to? **Scampers off to find him**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the x-men though I wouldn't mind having a leather-wearing Cajun around to keep me company. ^_^ **sighs and daydreams about Remy**

~*~*~*~

Chapter 9

A Meeting of Trust 

            Rogue needed to talk to Gambit. After she had found out about his past, she immediately wanted to see him. But it was late in the evening and she couldn't sneak out without rousing suspicion. She just had to wait until she saw him at school but the wait was unbearable. 

When the next day came and Rogue finally made it to school, she became very distraught when she realized that Gambit wasn't there. In her first class she waited on pins and needles for him to come through the door but he never did. 

Of course she knew that seeing him would be a little awkward after what happened the night before but she never thought that he wouldn't show. Was he that angry with her? What if something happened to him and she didn't know? Her anxiety knotting her stomach, she eagerly searched for John or Piotr in the hallways between classes. She hoped that he knew something about Gambit's no-show.

            "Hey, Rogue! Wait up!"

            Hearing her named called down the hallway, Rogue turned around to see who it was. She saw John running towards her, pushing pass the other students with Piotr calmly walking in his wake. She sighed in relief and waited for them to meet her. 

"John, Piotr, I've been looking everywhere for you guys," she told him. 

            "Really?" John asked little out of breath. "We were looking for you too. Listen, Gambit's gone MIA on us."

            "What?"

            "He's gone, Rogue," Piotr explained as even-tempered as ever. His face still stoic as always but Rogue could see with worry flashing in his gentle eyes. "Have you seen him?"

Rogue was shocked and a little scared. "No. I was going to ask if _you've_ seen him," she announced.

            John frowned and shook his head. "Nu-uh. Not since last night. He never came home. It has nothing to do with Magneto, I know that for sure. The bastard is still in France. You were with him last. What happened last night?"

            Rogue sighed, knowing that she shouldn't lie to them about Gambit. "It's too crowded to tell you now," she said, looking around the noisy hallway. "Let's go somewhere else that less hectic, all right?"

            "Okay," John replied. They followed her to the girls' restroom at the end of the hall. John stopped at the entrance and nervously started at her. "Er…why are we going in the girls' lavatory?"

            "Don't worry," Rogue told him, pushing the door open and stepping inside. "No ones gonna come in here anytime soon. It's being repaired."

            John looked unconvinced. "If you say so." He looked all around him before quickly diving inside the restroom. Piotr rolled his eyes and walked in.

"Okay, we're out of the hallway. What is it?" John eagerly asked.

 Rogue quickly closed the door and joined the two boys in the middle of the tiled room. She took a deep breath. "I know about Remy," she confessed. She spoke softly as if to undermine the truth. "I…I know what happened in New Orleans."

            John stared at her, his expression confused. She anxiously watched as the realization of her words hit him and saw his mouth drop open and eyes grow wide. He was stunned. Piotr simply nodded as if accepting Rogue's confession, the composure of his face never faltering.

John shook his head and murmured, "Oh god." He moved away from her as if in a daze and leaned against the wall for support. "You didn't say anything about it, did you?"

            "I mentioned the gangs before I knew the whole story," she told him. "It was last night when we walked outside. I said something, joked about the gangs…I didn't know then, John…he was really upset and angry. But he just walked away without saying anything to me. That was when I grabbed Kitty and left."

            "Damn," John hissed. "We haven't seen him since then."

            "Do you think something happened to him?" Rogue couldn't keep the worry and desperation out of her voice.

            Piotr shook his head. "No."

"God, Rogue," John hissed, "he never wanted you to find out!"

            "Well I did and I'm not sorry," she replied, frowning. "I just want to help him. I want to help you guys too."

            "Help us?" John shouted. "Why the fuck do we need your help?"

            "Because I know about you and Piotr too! I know that Magneto is blackmailing you to be on his side!"

            John glared at her, his dark brown eyes smoldering with anger. "You have no right…" he began, talking through clinched teeth.

            "I'm sorry that I invaded your privacy but we just want to help you," Rogue quickly interrupted. "Please believe me."

            "Well no one can help us," Piotr murmured sadly. "Everything we love and hold dear could crumble in a blink of an eye if Magneto chooses so."

            "Our very lives are in his fucking hands and we can't do shit about it!"

            "Yes, you can, John!" Rogue argued. "If you just let us help you…"

            "No!"

            Rogue sighed and tried to calm herself. "I don't want to see Gambit hurt," she told John softly after a moment. "I want him to know that he can trust me and to know that I could never judge him or look down on him."

            The hostility in John's face slowly faded away and was replaced with a look of somber sympathy. But Rogue couldn't see much after that as tears blurred her vision. Sniffling, she closed her eyes and hid her face in her trembling hands until she could get control of her emotions. She didn't expect the gentle hand on her shoulder.

            "If you really mean that," Piotr said softly, "then I think you should go and tell Gambit that. He needs to know that the girl he loves still cares for him."

            Startled, Rogue looked up. Piotr offered a little smile. 

            "Are you surprised to hear that he loves you?" he asked. "He didn't come out and tell us exactly but I know that swamp rat like the back of my hand. He cares for you a lot, Rogue."

            "I care for him too," she admitted in a weak whisper. 

            "Then tell him that, Rogue," he urged. "Find him and tell him. He feels very bad about what happened that night in New Orleans. He never wanted you to find out because he thought that you'd hate him or something. Gambit, although he loves his Cajun roots, thinks that it makes his blood bad, like he's worth nothing because he's just some second-rate thief from the bayou. With you, he thought he could forget the past, and be a good man for once even if he was with Magneto."

            Rogue frowned, feeling her heart go out to the Cajun. "He shouldn't feel that way, Piotr. He _is_ a good man."

"He can't help feeling that way sometimes," John spoke up quietly. "Just like I feel like good-for-nothing Aussie trash for the way my family lives."

"That's why you need to go to him, Rogue. You can get through to him. Tell him that you still care, that he's worth something to you."

"I wouldn't know where to look, Piotr," Rogue sadly admitted. "He could be anywhere."

            The aloof Russian smiled tenderly. "Just think about it, Rogue. You will know." He squeezed her shoulder and slowly walked towards the door. 

"And don't worry about us, Rogue," John commented, joined Piotr. "All this talk about blackmail has given me an idea."

"Oh, God have mercy," Piotr muttered, quickly crossing himself.

"Hey, quiet, you! I think I know a way to get out of Magneto's control." A quirky grin lit up John's face. "The bastard can't dupe us forever, ya know."

            "What are you planing to do?" she asked.

            John opened the door to the restroom and winked at her. "Just wait and see, Rogue. We'll be free men before you know it."  

~*~*~*~

            She left school. Between her fifth and sixth period, Rogue grabbed her backpack, dropped a note in Kitty's locker, and walked out. Since the hallways were so hectic as students made their way to class or lunch, no one spared her a second glance. When she reached the outside, she started to run. 

She knew that leaving would eventually get her into more trouble with her teachers and friends but she didn't care. Even if it earned her a year's worth of detention, she was willing to risk it. Right then the only thing that matter to her was Gambit. She needed to find him as quickly as possible or else her conscience and her unbridled anxiety would tear her up inside. If she was right, she'd find him at that southern restaurant they ate at earlier that week.

            It floored Rogue to realize that she'd known Gambit for barely a week and was in love with him. It seemed like the week had been much longer than just seven days. So much had happened to her since the day she ran into Gambit on that rainy, restless day. 

            It took her a half an hour to get to the restaurant by foot. When she reached her destination she was a little achy and warm but her mounting apprehension made her forget that. She just hoped that he was inside. Sucking in a deep breath for courage, Rogue opened the door and quickly walked in. 

Inside was place was empty. A few waitresses puttered around the quiet room, cleaning the tables and the only customer was a shadowy figure slumped silently in a dark nook. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought that might be Gambit.

            "Can I get you something, miss?" a young waitress asked Rogue from behind the counter.

            Rogue shook herself out of her reverie. "Um…no," she stammered. "I'm just meeting someone."

            "Okay." She flashed a bright smile and gestured to a table. "Have a seat then, miss."

            Rogue nodded. "All right. Thanks." When the waitress moved away, Rogue was still glued to the same spot, too scared to move. She nervously bit her lower lip and looked over to watch Gambit. He had his back to her and never noticed that she was there. After a second, she cautiously walked over to the dark alcove, making sure that she didn't stir any noise. But her heart was beating so fast that she was sure he'd hear it.

            She paused a few feet away from him. "Remy?" she asked, her voice soft and shaky. She saw him tense and quickly straighten up. "Can I sit down?"

            "_Oui," he murmured roughly, refusing to look back at her._

            Gingerly, Rogue joined him, sitting down on the opposite side of the booth. Gambit ignored her, his demon eyes staring blindly out the window, ignoring her stare. Watching his profile, she could see that he didn't look well. His looked weary and peaked, like a wounded animal. There was a glass of water in front of him but it seemed untouched. 

A thick, uncomfortable silence fell between them and Rogue's nervous double. She was at a lose for words. What should she tell him? It seemed so simple in her mind to tell him the truth. But in reality it was so hard. What if he refused her?

            What if he hates me? She thought sadly, feeling the pain weighing down her heart. Or what if he hates himself so much that he just pushes me away?

            "What are you doing here, chere?" Gambit asked, voice husky. He continued to evade her watch.

            Rogue shrugged, helpless. "John and Piotr told me that you never went home last night," she said. "You are making them worry."

            "They knows that Gambit is able to take care of himself," he replied. 

            Rogue sighed. "You made me worried too," she added, looking down at her lap. "I could hardly sleep last night. I kept thinking about you. I didn't know what to do when I realized that you weren't at school. I thought that you must be really angry with me. When they said that you hadn't been home all night I was scared. I thought something might have happened to you."

            Gambit shook his head. "I've been here all the time."

            Rogue sighed with relief. "That's good. I didn't want to think that you were alone on the streets." She paused and bit her lip. "Listen, Remy, I'm sorry if I upset you last night. I didn't mean it. I didn't know…but now I do know. I…I know everything."

            Gambit's eyes snapped to her. "What?"

            "I know what happened in New Orleans," she told him. "I know what you did."

            "How can you possibly know?" he seethed, his brow knotting as he scowled. "We're you there that night I killed him?"

            Speechless, Rogue shook her head.

            Gambit sighed, running his hands over his ashen face. "It wasn't an accident, chere." He shook his head. "Gambit is bad blood."

            "What happened?" Rogue asked gently.

            He shrugged. "Just lost control one night. We were fighting and Gambit lost it. Gambit took a knife and stabbed the poor bastard to death," he murmured softly. His eyes were glazed over as if he were remembering the murder. "After Gambit realized what he done, he ran. That's when Magneto got Gambit. He promised Gambit that the police would never catch him if I joined him. So Gambit did. I was so fucking stupid."

            Rogue frowned. She didn't like seeing the pained expressed on Gambit's face. She slowly reached over and held his idle hand that laid on the table, wanting to comfort him.

            "Don't think I hate you for what you did," she told him. "I don't. I don't look down on you either. If you let me, I still want to…to be friends with you, Remy. You mean so much to me."

            She heard him sigh and watched helplessly as he slowly withdrew his hand from hers. "What makes you think I won't hurt you?" he quietly asked.

            "You aren't like that!" Rogue urged. "I know that you are a good man!"

            "Well, I was like that seven months ago! I haven't changed. People don't change that quickly, Rogue. Gambit is still the same worthless scoundrel he was in New Orleans. Fuck me for ever believing that I could be something else."

            "I don't care if you killed anyone, Remy," Rogue told him. "You could be the fucking devil for all I care and I'd still be in love with you!" She paused, stunned, as the truth penetrated the air around them. She had gotten so carried away that she had blurted out the truth without realizing it.

            For a moment Gambit didn't say anything. He met her stare, his demon eyes melancholy, and shook his head. "How could you love someone like Gambit?"

            "How could you love someone like me?" she returned. "I love you, Remy Lebeau, and I don't care about your past. It doesn't mean anything because I know that you are still a good man at heart. I truly believe that, even if you don't."

            "Chere…"

            Rogue glared at him. "If you think I'm going to let you go, you are sadly mistaken, Gambit," she told him. 

            He offered a feeble smile. "All right, chere. Gambit's sorry."

            Rogue nodded as she stood up, moving to sit down next to Gambit. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him and held him. He eagerly accepted the embrace, pulling her close with his arms.

            "Gambit just wishes he could forget sometimes, chere," he murmured. "He's done so many bad things. He still is doing so many bad things…"

            "I understand, Remy. I wish I can forget the time I almost killed a boy with my powers," she said. "But I know I can't. I just have to learn from my mistake and move on."

            "That's a lot to ask, chere. I don't know if I can."

            She ran a hand up and down his back, comfortingly. "You have to come to terms with what you did or else it will eat you up inside," she told him. "I'm not asking you do to it right now. That's impossible. I'm asking you to do it when you are ready."

            "All right, chere," he sighed heavily. 

            "That's why I want you to leave Magneto," Rogue told him.

            "What? I can't. He'll go to the police."

            "Then let us help you, let the x-men help you, Remy. You said yourself that you are still doing bad things. That's all Magneto's fault," she told him. "Anyway, John said he had a plan to get out of Magneto's control."

            "John? You talked to him? You know about him, too?"

            She nodded. "They don't want to be blackmailed anymore. Just think about it, all right?"

            "At first we were fine with the contract Magneto set up for us," Gambit said, sighing. "We were paid good money, had a nice house to live in, and a place where we could put our powers into use without being thought of as weird. Then we realized that Magneto was one crazy bastard, who picked us because of our pasts. It was just easier to keep us when blackmail was involved because no one in their right mind would side with him." He paused and stroked the side of her face. 

"Then you came around, chere, and turned everything upside down. Gambit liked you from the beginning but he thought the infatuation would pass. But it never did. Infatuation turned into something more and Gambit realized that he didn't want to be your enemy and that he couldn't go on living this way. So, no matter what happens, Gambit will leave Magneto."

            Rogue smiled. "Are you going to wait and see what John has up his sleeve?"

            "Yes. He can be a cold-hearted bastard if he wants. Whatever he's planning, it's going to get Magneto were he least expects it."

            "Ya know, the offer of being my boyfriend is still open, Remy," she told him, smiling.

            "Well, chere, that's an offer Remy won't refuse." He looked down at her and slowly brushed his gloved fingers against her face. "Or let go any time soon."

            Rogue blushed, wishing that she had a bloody scarf. She really wanted to kiss him once more.

            "Looking for this, chere?" Gambit asked, pulling her sheer purple scarf out from the pocket of his coat. He waved it in front of her face. "You left it outside last night."

            "Damn glad you have it, Remy," she told him before snatching it and placing it over his face. "Because I want to kiss you senseless." And proceeded to do just that.

~*~*~*~   

"I didn't become Magneto's right hand man to be demoted to a nanny for a bunch of ungrateful brats," Sabertooth growled angrily. Perched on the top of a building like some evil bird, the tall, yellow-haired mutant was back in Bayville to check up on his favorite trio of children. But, in reality, he'd rather be force-fed to a temperamental shark any day.

Since he hardly knew the city well, Sabertooth sniffed the air loudly for their scents. He caught the different smells from the busy street below but ignored them, catching something that sparked his interest. He caught the spicy scent of that foul Cajun as well as the scent of an x-men. He couldn't tell which on it was and that that irked him to no end. Growling low in his throat, Sabertooth followed the Cajun's smell, leaping from building to building, until he came upon a humble restaurant on the other side of town.

            "Southern," he muttered, scoffing. "Typical."   

            Sabertooth noted that Gambit wasn't at school and thought that the boy might be fighting with the mysterious x-man. That made him smile. He hoped the boy was having a tough time and got the shit beat out of him. But as he sniffed the air for more clues, the aroma of kinetically charge objects never reached him. Instead he smelled the scent of a girl. A young girl. 

            "What the hell?" he growled, peering over the roof of the restaurant to see the street below. At that moment, the door swung open and Gambit stepped out into the light, holding the untouchable mutant girl, Rogue, in his arms. They seemed awfully friendly to the giant. Not knowing that they were being watched, the young lovers walked down the street, talking about god knows what. Sabertooth snickered down at them.

            "Ooh," he gnarled, showing his fanged teeth as he grinned. "Magneto will love this."

~*~*~*~

            "Still wanna go back to school, chere?" Gambit asked as they walked down the street, his arm wrapped comfortably around her then shoulders.

            "Hell no!" Rogue laughed. "School's half over by now anyway. So what's the point?"

            "All right. Then what should we do? A movie?"

            "I think I'd fall asleep," she replied, yawning. "Remember I hardly got any sleep last night thanks to you."

            Gambit's smile was downright lecherously. "Wanna go to my house? No one will be there, chere."

            Such shameless innuendo, Rogue thought to herself, blushing. "Meaning what, Gambit?"

             He lowered his mouth to her ear and purred, "Meaning that it will be just the two of us in that big old house with no distractions, chere. Just use you imagination."

            Rogue felt her face grow much warmer. She needed a big glass of water too since her mouth had gone very dry due to the fact that several choice images popped into her brain. But he couldn't possibly mean that, she thought, nervously biting her lower lip. It's impossible! It's dangerous!

            "Chere?" he asked, startling her out of her muse. She looked up at him. "You are all red. What were you thinking?"

            "Oh, um…things," she stammered. When she saw his teasing smile, she punched him in the ribs. "You big jerk! You said all those things on purpose just to embarrass me!"

            Gambit laughed and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Don't get mad, chere. Gambit couldn't help it. You look so damn cute when you are flustered. Gambit should tease you more often."

            Rogue glowered. "Shut up."

            "But Gambit meant what he said, chere," he told her. _"Je veux vous embrasser at tient si trés proche me. Je veux emballer mes bras vers vous et sens votre chaleur. Je veux toucher votre peau et vous caresse comme je fais dans mes rêves." (I want to kiss you and hold you so very close to me. I want to wrap my arms around you and feel your warmth. I want to touch your skin and caress you like I do in my dreams)_

            "I have no idea what you said but that sounded really sexy," Rogue told him, blushing. "What did you say?"

            "Why don't we go to my place and Gambit'll show you, chere?"

            "You're playing with fire, Remy," she cautioned.

            He stroked the side of her face, gently touching her as if she were some precious treasure. "Remy will be very careful, chere."

            "Okay," she said, smiling. "Let's go. But if you fall into a coma it won't be my fault." 

            "But what a way to go."

            "Pervert."

            They walked all the way to Acolytes' house, basking easily in each other's affectionate presence like it was the sun.

            "Are you hungry, chere?" Gambit asked her as they walked up to the empty house.

            "Very," she murmured. No wait, he's talking about food! "I…um…didn't have lunch."

            "Okay. Then Gambit'll wipe something up for us."

            "You cook?" she choked out, blushing red, as Gambit led her up the porch.

            He nodded. 

            "Is it any good?"

            "You insult me, chere. No one's ever died from Gambit's cooking," he said, smiling. "So it can't be that bad."

            "I guess I'll just wait and see for myself."

            "Just for that, I'm putting curry in your food," he teased, putting a hand in his coat pocket. "Fuck."

            "What is it?"

            "Don't have the damn key," he told her, apologetic.

Rogue chuckled. "You're a thief, Remy," she kindly reminded him.

            "That's right, chere. Almost forgot," Gambit muttered, withdrawing a slender pick from his coat to her surprise. "Here we go. It'll just take a second." He knelt down by the door and inserted the pick into the lock. Fascinated, Rogue leaned against the house and watched him work. After a few seconds, she heard the lock clink and Gambit stood up, pushing the door open. He put the pick back in his pocket and smiled at her.

            "Shall we go in?"

            Rogue nodded and took the hand that Gambit offered her and allowed him to lead her inside.

"Make yourself cozy in the living room, chere," Gambit said. "I'll make us something to eat."

"I want to watch. I like a man who knows his way around the kitchen."

Gambit grinned at her. "All right, chere," he said, walking towards the kitchen. "Follow de Gambit then."

The kitchen was further down the hallway, passed the living room. It was big and surprisingly clean for a house with three young men in it. There were no dishes crowding up the sink and the countertops were shiny and polished. The small kitchen table even had a vase of flowers standing proudly against the off white tablecloth. The coziness of the kitchen made Rogue smile. 

As Gambit moved away to round up things to cook she slowly wandered through it and passed the refrigerator. She stopped and looked at the decorated surface. 

There were a few pictures of the Acolytes stuck to the metal with gaudy magnets along with a small calendar and a schedule of household chores. Looking over it, she could hardly contain her smile. Picturing Gambit vacuuming seemed a little far-fetched to her.

"You really clean house?" she asked, pointing to the agenda.

She felt a pair of strong hands wrap around her waist, startling her. "Of course, chere," Gambit purred into her ear. "Piotr's sort of a clean-freak."

"Just can't imagine you doing the dishes with soap suds up to your elbow," she laughed. "I really like your kitchen. At the institute I hardly ever see ours. It's a horrible piece of metal. Everything is metal in there. There's no comfort or feeling of warmth."

"Ah, there's the Southern girl in you, chere. A house revolves around the kitchen. Or at least, that is what us humble Cajuns have always thought."

"I grew up thinking the same thing," Rogue murmured, leaning against Gambit's hard chest and soaking up his closeness. "A kitchen is the heart of the house."

A gentle kiss was placed on the top of her head. Then, Gambit slowly reached over and opened up the fridge. 

"Do you have any thing you particually would like to eat, chere?" he asked.

Rogue shrugged. "I'm fine with anything," she told him. "I don't care."

"Good choice," he replied, pulling out the milk and butter. 

"Just no curry."

Gambit smiled and promised, "No curry."

~*~*~*~

"The water is boiling."

"…."

"That's too much spice."

"…."

"Are you sure that's done?"

"Chere! Gambit knows what he is doing!" 

Sitting at the small kitchen table, Rogue smiled as sweetly as she could as she watched Gambit putter around the room. She never doubted Gambit's cooking abilities. The air around them was full of warm spices and a pot of Dirty Rice was simmering deliciously in a silver pot on the stove. She just wanted to give him some trouble.

"I'm just teasing you, Remy," she told him. "It really looks good."

"It tastes even better, chere," he told her, smiling.

"Is it done? I'm starving over here."

"I dunno. Why don't you give it a try, petite?" Gambit suggested. He spooned up some rice and carefully walked over to the kitchen table. She blushed when she realized that he intended to feed her.

"All right, Cajun," she muttered. "Let's see." Gingerly, she took a small bite and chewed. It was really hot but mouth-watering nonetheless. She pulled back, fanning herself. "Should have blown on it some," she laughed.

"Good?"

Rogue nodded deeply. 

Gambit smiled and leaned towards her. He quickly placed a thumb over her lips and pressed his mouth against it. Rogue smiled when he straightened up, her insides churning with warmth. 

"Let's eat, chere."

Fifteen minutes later the pot of Dirty Rice was gone.

"Man, I'm stuffed!" Rogue exclaimed, leaning back in her chair. "I feel like I'm could explode."

Gambit winked at her, finishing up the last of his meal. "Not Gambit's fault if his girlfriend helped herself to two servings."

"Hey, I was hungry!"

"Not complaining. 'Tis a good thing you have a hearty appetite," he told her, smiling. "Gambit was never really into just skin and bones."

"That was really good, Remy," she told him. "Thanks."

"No problem, chere," he returned. He stood up, gathered their used dishes, and dumped them in the sink. He turned around and smiled at her. "What should we do now?"

"I want a tour of your home."

Gambit laughed. "Well, it's a good thing we clean. Come on, chere."

Rogue quickly slipped of her chair and Gambit walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He led her out of the kitchen and down the hall to the living room. Stopping by the threshold, he gestured into the room and said, "This be the living room and behind us in the dining room which we never use."

Rogue peered into the elegant dining room. It had a beautiful wood table and chairs along with a tall cabinet full of china and crystal. It was really beautiful but she really could see three young boys and Sabertooth sitting down and enjoying a meal in it. It was quite different from the casual living room with its overstuffed chair and couch along with the huge television and playstation.

"It's nice," she said. 

"It's god awful. We never go in there unless we have too," Gambit replied. "It's too classy for us rascals." Gambit walked her further down the hall to a flight of stairs that lead to the second floor. They ascended the steps. 

"This is John's room," Gambit told her, pointing to the first door on the floor.

"Can I take a look?"

"It'll be dangerous, chere," he warned her.

Rogue shrugged and opened the door. "Ooh, girlie posters," she remarked, looking around the disordered room from the safety of the doorway. It looked as if a wild bull had run wild in there for a good day. 

"You can say John is a big fan of the womanly figure," Gambit said, smiling as Rogue closed the door and joined him in the middle of the hallway. He pointed to another door in the hallway. "That's Piotr's room."

Rogue looked in and frowned. "It's so barren," she murmured, seeing as only a bed and a chest-of-draws hardly filled the large space. The room was perfectly clean, not a spot of dust or an article of clothes littered the wooden floor. She stepped a little further into the room.

"What's this?" On the chest-of-draws, there was a picture and a small statue of the Virgin Mary. Rogue gingerly picked up the picture. It was of a beautiful woman with long brown hair and warm, gentle eyes. She was smiling shyly at the camera. "Is she Piotr's mother?"

Gambit nodded from the doorway. 

"She's very beautiful," she said, returning the picture to its former spot. "How long has she been sick, Remy?"

"Piotr's mama has been sick the past year," Gambit told her, closing the door as Rogue exited the scanty room. 

"Is she going to get better?"

Gambit sighed heavily. "There was a moment when we actually thought that she would but she ended up relapsing."

"That sucks!" Rogue exclaimed. 

Gambit nodded deeply. "He prays that she'll be all right but he knows in his heart that she won't make it."

"Poor Piotr. But if she does end up dying, can't Piotr get away from the Magneto?"

Gambit shook his head. "That sick bastard would find another way to keep him. Come on, chere," he said. "Let's not talk about this now." He grabbed a hold of her hand and started to pull her back down the hallway towards the stairs. 

"Hey, wait a minute!" Rogue spoke up. "Where's your room?"

He groaned. "Do you really want to see it?"

"Why you so nervous? Do you have girlie posters up or something like John," she teased. "Is it really messy?"

Gambit shook his head. 

"Then why can't I see it?"

"Um…because it's Gambit's room?"

"Is that it?" she scoffed. Smiling, she took a few steps down the hallway. "It's the next door, isn't it?"

"Chere…"

Rogue's smiled widened and quickly darted towards it. Gambit followed in her wake, trying to catch her. She wrapped her hand around the doorknob just as she felt him grabbed her from behind. She laughed when his fingers started to tickle her mercilessly.

"You little troublemaker," he chuckled, trying to pull her away from the door but she wouldn't budge. In the end he gave up and just held her close.

"Come on, Remy! I want to see!" she said, turning the knob and opened the door. To her disappointment the room beyond looked normal. It was clean, the bed was made, and nothing littered the floor. The only thing that reminded her of Gambit was the poster of New Orleans at night hanging on the wall, a deck of cards on the desk, and a motorcycle magazine on the floor by the bed. 

"It's so…normal and clean," she muttered, cautiously stepping further inside. She shot him a suspicious glance. "Are you sure this is your room?"

"_Oui, petite," Gambit replied, smiling. He entered the room and pushed to door close. "What did you expect?"_

"I don't know," Rogue told him. "You couldn't get me to clean my room even if you paid me."

"I take it that you don't like to clean much."

Rogue shook her head. "I hate it with a passion," she murmured, wandering around the room. She made it to the bed and quickly jumped onto the mattress, laughing as she bounced. She laid down on her side and snuggled into the soft blanket. It smelled of Gambit.

Gambit smiled from where he stood. "You look like a little puppy, chere," he told her fondly. 

Rogue looked up and smiled at him, whispering, "Come and join me, Remy."

He did. He pulled off his long trench coat and dropped in on the floor but not before retrieving the long purple scarf from the pocket. Rogue blushed when their eyes met, his intense red irises dark. When he sat down on the edge of the bed, Rogue sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, carefully holding him close. Gambit wrapped his arms around her small waist, lowering his face to place a tender kiss on her shoulder. She smiled and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Hey, what's this?" Rogue asked, pointing to a tattoo on his upper arm. It was a tattoo of a card and instead of the usual heart or club, bared the fleur-de-lis. Underneath it was the words '_L'association de voleurs de Paroisse d'orléans. Voleur de maître'_. Fascinated, Rogue ran a finger over the marking. 

"It's the 200-year-old insignia of Gambit's guild in New Orleans," he replied, beaming with pride. 

"What does it say?"

"Orleans Parish thief guild. Then it says Gambit's title, Master Thief." [1]

Rogue was stunned. "_Master thief_?! Damn! You must have been in charge of the guild then."

He nodded and sadly said remarked, "Handed the position over to my right-hand man before Gambit left New Orleans." 

"But you're so young, Remy."

"Young but capable," he said, smiling. 

"Do you miss it?" she asked. "The guild I mean?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Even though it was dangerous, the guild was Gambit's life completely, my family."

Rogue bit her bottom lip and asked, "Do you think you will ever go back?"

"Maybe just to visit," he murmured. "Once you leave your guild you can't rejoin again."

Rogue frowned and leaned forward. She placed her thumb against his mouth and slowly pressed her lips against it like Gambit had done earlier.

When she pulled back, Gambit lifted the scarf up and placed it gently over Rogue's face. She sighed and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes as she savored the feel of him around her. She felt Gambit shift to place a small kiss on her mouth and she eagerly welcomed him. After a couple of sweet, innocent kisses, she parting her lips to show him that she wanted more. 

Her stomach twisted into a warm knot as the kiss deepened, his tongue entering her mouth to stroke her own. At first the undulating movement was drowsily lazy as if they were content on just soaking up the lingering caresses and unhurried brushes through the fabric. Sighing, Rogue pulled him closer to her, wanting to receive more of his kindling touch. 

She moaned breathlessly into his mouth, feeling the smooth leather-clad hands at her waist slowly edge the hem of her shirt up. Soon she felt his fingers tenderly graze the soft skin on her stomach. She shivered as a gentle hand slid up to cup the underside on her breast, her back arched into the warm touch.

Unfortunately, even though she would have loved to enjoy Gambit's touch to the fullest, her back started to ache due to her awkward position. She tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go away. Frowning, she broke the kiss and pulled back. 

"Damn it."

"Chere?" Gambit asked, his voice husky, as he opened her eyes to look at her. 

"I'm sorry, Remy," she whispered, drawing the clothe from her face. "It's just a little…"

"Too fast?"

"No," she laughed. "It's just that I'm sitting all wrong. My back is starting to hurt." Sighing, she laid down on the soft bed and smiled, holding her arms out to him. "That's better. Come here."

   Gambit smiled down at her and slowly lowered himself down to lie next to her. He replaced the scarf and let the dewy-eyed Rogue pull him into another deliciously long, unhurried kiss.  

Riiing…riiing… 

Rogue winced when she heard the shrill ring of the phone echo throughout the house. Defeated, Gambit groaned and buried his face in the side of her neck. She laughed and patted his head.

"Goddamn it," he murmured. 

_Riiing…._

"Are you going to get that?" Rogue asked.

"No. Don't want to get up," Gambit told her, placing little kisses on her neck.

Riiing… 

"It's damn annoying!" she laughed, poking him in the shoulder. 

"All right, chere." Pouting, the tousled swamp rat stood up. "I'll be back." With that he sulked out of the room.

Rogue smiled to herself and removed the scarf from her face. She relaxed onto the soft bed and yawned, feeling her eyelids grow heavy with no Gambit around to distract her from her exhaustion. Staying up all night worrying took a lot out of a person.

I'll just rest until he gets back, she thought. She rolled onto her side and snuggled against the pliant pillow. She was out like a light in less than a minute. 

~*~*~*~

"Goddamn stupid tele-marketers," Gambit muttered sourly to himself as he made his way back to his room. "They just had to call then. Not everyday that Gambit has a beautiful _fille_ in his room. Heartless bastards." He paused in front of the door. "Chere?"

There was no answer. Frowning, Gambit pushed the door open and stepped inside. 

"_Mon dieu," he muttered, shaking his head. "Remy's not having a good day." (My god)_

There on his bed, looking as beautiful as ever, was Rogue, fast asleep. The picture was endearing, he had to admit with a smile. In her sleep, her face was soft and unguarded, one hand tucked under her chin.

Sighing, Gambit carefully made his way towards his bed. There he couldn't resist the urge to brush a hand down the side of her pretty face and he contently watched the young girl sleep for a moment. 

"If you can't bet them," Gambit murmured. "Join them."

As quietly as possible, Gambit settled himself beside her and spooned her up in his arms. After placing a small kiss on the top of her head, he sighed and closed his eyes

~*~*~*~

Rogue woke up to shouting. Bewildered, she shot up like a cannon and looked around the room. She hardly remembered where she was. Then it came back to her in a flash. She was in Gambit's room. Blushing she recalled that they were making out when the phone rang. Gambit left to get it. Rogue frowned. She didn't remember anything after that, expect feeling very warm and very safe.

"Oh god!" she gasped. "I fell asleep!" She had the unavoidable urge to smack herself. "I'm so stupid! Gambit's must think I'm the stupidest girl alive!…er…where is he?"

The yelling from the floor below became more pronounced then. Straining her ears, Rogue heard the muffled voice of John and Gambit. Were they going at it? More than a little worried, Rogue climbed to her feet, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She quickly combed her fingers through her hair and straightened her tousled clothing. Of course it wouldn't take a genius to put two and two together but still she had to make to effort to look nice.

The shouts were much louder in the hallway. Rogue's slowly edged to the staircase and peered down below. 

"You almost gave me a fucking attack, you stupid swamp rat!" John yelled, holding Gambit is a sufficient headlock while Piotr viewed the scene a few safe feet away.

"Gambit is sorry! You didn't need to worry!"

"Worry? I was going out of my mind! Holy shit, you didn't even give us one goddamn phone call," John snapped.

"John, I think you're hurting him," Piotr muttered. 

With a frown, John pushed Gambit away from him. "Serves that bastard right," he replied.

"Damn it, John," Gambit frowned, rubbing the soreness away from his neck as he clamored to his feet. Rogue saw one of his hands slip into his back pocket and withdraw a card, hiding it in his palm.

This will be interesting, Rogue thought to herself. Piotr must have seen it too because he slowly back away.

"Look, mon ami," Gambit sighed. "I'm sorry I made you worry. It won't happen again." He held out the hand that held the card. "I promise."

John looked at the hand suspiciously then glared at Gambit. After a moment, he sighed and moved to shake the Cajun's offered hand. Instantly Gambit charged the card and jumped back. John gave a surprise yelp and quickly tossed the away, diving for cover when it blew up in mid-air.  

"You fucking bastard!"

Gambit started to laugh at John and that was when Piotr looked up and found Rogue at the top of the stairs.

"Good afternoon," he called up to her.

She smiled nervously, blushing when the other two looked up. "Er...hi…I was just…" she stammering, trying to think up a good excuse.

John started to make kissing noises and Gambit immediately whacked on the back of his head. "Spending some time with her favorite Cajun," he finished, grinning up at her. 

She walked down the steps and Gambit met her at the bottom, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Rogue, would you like some tea?" Piotr asked, making to way towards the kitchen.

"Yes, thanks."

"Hey, make some coffee while you're at it too!" John called after him. Then he looked over at the two of them and frowned. "Nevermind, I'll just get it myself." With that, he left.

"This is awkward," Rogue muttered. "Maybe I should just leave."

"Don't go yet. You'll break Piotr's heart."

She chuckled. "Okay. Did John really hurt you?" she raised a hand and tugged down the collar of his shirt, seeing if there were any bruises.

"Nah, Gambit's had worse done to him, _petite_."

"I don't like the sound of that," she said, frowning. "But John was right about you."

"Right about what, chere?"

"That you are a bastard. How could you let me fall asleep? That's fucking embarrassing!"

Gambit smiled. "But you look so precious when you sleep. I didn't have the heart to wake you." 

John suddenly appeared in the hallway again. He was frowning and looking more than a little worried.

"What's wrong, mon ami?" Gambit asked.

"Piotr's mother's doctor is on the phone right, talking with Piotr," he replied. "It's personal stuff so I high-tailed it outta there."

Gambit sighed. "I hope she's okay."

"Me too."

The two boys were tense as they waited in the hallway. Because the atmosphere was so rigid, Rogue just stood by Gambit's side and waited with them, uneasy. After a minute, she heard the phone hang up and heavy footfalls coming from the kitchen. Soon Piotr appeared, his face sullen and pale.

"So, mate, what's up?" John asked.

"My mother died."

A look of shock came washed over John's face and it felt like Rogue was hit very hard in the stomach. Beside her, Gambit sighed deeply.

"Shit, man," John muttered. "I'm so sorry."

Piotr shrugged despondently and slowly made his way up the stairs, to the peaceful solace of his room, no doubt. When the door shut upstairs, she felt Gambit squeeze her shoulder. 

Getting her attention, Gambit whispered, "I'll take you home now, chere."

To be continued…

**Author's note: this is the longest chapter by far. Poor Piotr. I hope you guys don't hate me. What did you think of the kissing scene? Too much? No enough? Well I hoped you liked what you read, guys. Please review. BTW I'm leaving for college Saturday to it might be a good week or two until I can fine the time to update the story. I think just two more chapters and the story will be over. ^___^**

[1] Louisiana's counties are called parishes. Gambit's guild owned the county that was home to the Big Easy so they were pretty badass thieves. ^___^


	10. A Meeting of Comfort

**In the Rain by Yui**

**Author's Note**: Thanks to all who read and replied. I love you all! ^___^ BTW College is fun. 

**Disclaimer**: I don't own X-men

~*~*~*~

Chapter 10 

A Meeting of Comfort

            Gambit took her home on his motorcycle. It was early evening and the sun was ablaze with color as the shadows slowly moved into the town. It was around five and everyone would be home from school and from different practices so someone was bound to see her with him. But she didn't care. There were a hundred different things on her mind then. If she got in trouble for missing school again or being caught with his, she honesty wouldn't care.

            Gambit pulled in front of the Institute and turned off the motorcycle's noisy engine. Rogue pulled off the helmet and carefully clambered of the vehicle, her legs weak and humming. 

            "Will you tell Piotr that I'm sorry about his mama?" Rogue asked him, handing the helmet over to him.

            "_Oui, chere," he answered softly, his dark eyes looking distraught. _

            "Thanks." She leaned over and slowly placed a tender kiss on top of his head. She felt him wrap his strong arms around her waist, pulling her in closer for a few moments. He was trembling a little. She closed her eyes, savoring the bittersweet embrace, and held onto him tightly.

            "I'll see you at school?" she asked, slowly withdrawing. 

            He nodded his head and quickly revved up the engine once more. With a little wave, he drove out into the street. She watched him until he disappeared from her sight. With a heavy sigh, she turned around, feeling tears sting her eyes.

            To lose a mother, she thought sadly. She didn't know Piotr's mother, hardly knew Piotr himself but that didn't matter. It was still made her unbelievably melancholy just thinking about it. Piotr was probably very close to his mama and losing her must have hit him hard. Rogue tried to wonder what it felt like to lose someone close to her. It would be horrible. 

            The more she thought about someone dying, the more the guileless tears came to her eyes, overflowing and pouring down her ashen face. She just hoped that she didn't have to lose someone so soon or at least be able to say goodbye if it did happen. Poor Piotr, he never got his chance.  

            "Rogue, like, you're finally home!" Kitty's voice spoke up. Rogue looked over and saw her standing on the other side of the gate. Kitty's eyes grew wide with surprise when she saw the other girl. "You're, like, crying! What in the world, like, happened to you?"

            Rogue couldn't find her voice to speak, too troubled by her thoughts. 

What if one day, she thought immediately, Kitty wasn't around anymore? What if things got too dangerous and Kurt or Logan died? Of course her housemates were annoying and stupid at times but they were her family and her closest friends. They trusted her and she trusted them. She couldn't think of living with one of them gone forever because they were all such a big part of her life. That was enough to break the tight shield she had erected around her heart. 

With her thoughts making her all the more miserable, Rogue hurried through the gate and threw her arms around Kitty, startling the younger girl.

            "What's wrong? You're, like totally freaking me out!" Kitty sounded shaken, frightened, but she didn't push Rogue away. Instead she wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, knowing that Rogue really needed her then. "Tell me, like, what happened! Are you hurt? Did, like, Remy hurt you or something?"

            Before Rogue could answer, Logan was suddenly by their sides, roughly tearing the girls apart. Glowering with angry, he held the teary-eyed Rogue by the shoulders in his strong grip and snarled, "I'll rip his fucking arms out! What did that damned punk do to you?"

            "N-n-nothing," Rogue stammered quickly, wide-eyed and pale. "Remy didn't hurt me."

            The stormy anger in Logan's muscular body quickly withered after her words sunk in and he immediately unhanded her as if he were burned. "Damn," he cursed. "I thought…I smelled him on ya, kid…What happened?" 

            "He…He…Piotr's mama died," she told him, his voice weak and unsteady. Before Logan could stop her, she fell against him and sobbed quietly against his broad chest. "It got me thinking about things, Logan, like would happen if my friends died…what if one day, Kitty or the professor, or anyone else, wasn't here…"

            She felt the gruff Logan slowly exhale and awkwardly wrap his arms around her quivering form, not knowing what else to do to comfort her. "Shit, kid," he murmured in his deep, guttural voice. "There's no need to think about stuff like that."

            "I couldn't help it," she whispered, distraught.

            "Just don't think about it, all right? It won't happen, not while Xavier or I'm around," Logan assured her. "Now quit your sobbing, kid. You're getting me all wet."

            Sniffing pathetically, Rogue pulled away and wiped her eyes, smudging her dark make-up no doubt.

            "Damn now I hate to do this to you, kid," he said, looking both inept and contrite. "But you're grounded."       

            "Huh? Like, why, Mr. Logan?" Kitty spoke up, insulted for Rogue's sake.

            "She skipped school again and," he sniffed the air and frowned with displeasure, "she saw the Cajun rat."

            "Oh, but it's a love thing, Mr. Logan!" Kitty explained to him. "If you were, like, in Rogue's shoes you would have done the same thing! Some things are, like, more important than school!"

            Logan glared at the younger girl. "Keep talking, half-pint, and you will be joining Rogue in the Danger Room," he growled and succeeded in quieting her. Her turned to Rogue. "After dinner, kid, meet me in the Danger Room for a session and don't be late. You are grounded for the rest of the week. After school I want you moping, washing, dusting, everything. Got that?"

            Rogue simply nodded. Before he turned and walked away, Logan sighed and delivered a small awkward pat on the top of her head. 

            "Don't worry yourself over it," he muttered. 

            When he was walking away, Kitty stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Rogue's waist.

            "Come on," she said gently. "Let's go inside, okay? Forget about, like, being grounded. We'll, like, have dinner and then you can tell me all about you day with your hunky Cajun boyfriend after your session."

            Through her drying tears, Rogue smiled at Kitty.

            "See? It's definitely a love thing," the girl said, nodding firmly. "Just the mention of Gambit makes you happy."

~*~*~*~

Sweaty and achy from the rigorous training in the Danger Room with Logan, Rogue made her way up to her room as quickly as her tired bones would let her. She still wore her black and green uniform, too weary to change down there. All she wanted to do was take a nice long shower and go to bed.

"Damn," she muttered, slowly rubbing the ache from her shoulder. "Logan sure didn't hold anything back tonight. Even if he can bust through stone walls and battle psycho robots doesn't mean I can too."

            "Hey, Rogue!" a voice called out to her from down the hallway. "Wait a sec, will ya?"

            Frowning, Rogue turned around and saw Kurt looking over at her. "What do you want, elf man?" she asked as she crossed her arms. "I was on my way to take a shower."

            Kurt was unfazed by the icy animosity in her voice and quickly hurried down the hall towards her.

            "I haven't seen you all day! Word is that you skipped school," he replied, smiling. 

            "Yeah? So what?"

            He shrugged. "Did you get in trouble?"

            "Logan grounded me."

            "Really?"

            Rogue nodded. "Till Saturday."

            "That's not bad, Rogue. I was on probation for an entire month. A few days means nothing." A look of worry crossed his face. "Listen, Rogue," he murmured, moving closer to grasp her elbow in his hand. "Kitty told me that you and Gambit are going out. Is that true?"

            Rogue frowned. "What if it is, elf man? Are you going to tell me that it's a bad idea like everyone else?"

            "No," Kurt quickly said, shaking his head. "It's just that I'm worried. Kitty told me that he almost lost it…"

            Rogue frowned. "Jeez, can't Kitty keep anything to herself?" she asked herself. "Don't worry about me, Kurt. Remy's a very nice guy. He just has a…a troubled past."

            "I don't want him to hurt you, Rogue," Kurt replied honestly. "If he does, he'll have to deal with me!"

            She laughed in spite of herself and replied, "What would you do? Teleport him to the next town? Don't worry about it, okay? Besides, Logan has first dibs on the Swamp Rat if he hurts me. I don't know what would be left of him then."

            Kurt nodded. "All right, Rogue," he murmured, turning around to go back to his room. "Just be careful."

            "I will," she promised. She watched him walk back to his room and was ready to head to make her way to her own when she saw Scott's face frowning over at her through the doorway of his bedroom. She immediately stopped and glared at him. (A/N: I don't know who Scott shares a room with! Is it Kurt?)

"What do you want now, Summers?"

            His frown deepened but he didn't say anything. Shaking his head, he slammed his door shut. Rogue sighed and found her room.

            "I've been, like, waiting for you for, like, ever!" Kitty exclaimed as soon as Rogue walked through the bedroom door. The younger girl was sitting on her bed, dressed in her pink pajamas, and all but bouncing from her barely contained anticipation. "What took you so long? I, like, totally want to hear about your day!"

            Rogue groaned and quickly moved inside her closet. She stripped out of her hot uniform and put on a pair of cotton boxers and a tank top. 

            "Do we have to talk about it now?" she asked. "I really want to take a shower and head to bed. Logan was tough on me tonight."

            From her bed, Kitty pouted. "Please? It'll take you like five minutes!"

            Rogue smirked and closed her closet door. "You really ought to read a romance novel, Kitty, if you want to hear about romance," she replied.

            "Read? As if! What should I, like, read when this lovely little drama is unfolding, like, right underneath my eyes? Soap operas don't even, like, come close to this!" Kitty said. "A mysterious man with an even more mysterious past. A young heroine trying to love him through all the obstacles. This is exciting stuff! Now get your butt over here and, like, talk already!"

            Rogue sighed but sat down next to Kitty nonetheless. "Well, want do you want to know?"

            Kitty smiled and quickly remarked, "Gambit wasn't at school today."

            "I know."

            "Why?"

            Rogue sighed, remembering that Kitty didn't know about Gambit's history. "You know how we suspected that Remy was linked to the gangs down in New Orleans?"

            "Yeah."

            "Well, um, we were wrong," Rogue said. Kitty looked confused. "It turns out that he's a master thief. Not only is he linked but he ruled a Thieving Guild."

            Kitty's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Really? I don't, like, know what that means but he must have been pretty powerful down there, right? Did you ask him why he left?"

            "He…he did something bad."

            "Like what? Steal something?" She looked unimpressed.

            "No. He killed someone," Rogue whispered. Kitty gasped, the color draining away from her face. "Magneto found him and promised that he wouldn't go to the police if Remy agreed to be on his side. Last night, I read something about the gangs in New Orleans in the paper, and joked about then with Gambit."

            "I know that part. Gambit got mad and left. Was he took angry to go to school today or something?"

            "I don't know. John and Piotr told me that he didn't come home last night and that got me really scared. I kept seeing him lying in a gutter somewhere," Rogue answered, shuddering. "They said the Remy never wanted me to find out about his past because he thought that I would hate him for it. I said I didn't and they said that Gambit needs to know that the girl he loves still cares for him."

            "'The girl he loves'?" Kitty echoed. "Rogue! He loves you!" Smiling, Kitty pulled the other girl into a tight hug. "That's, like, so sweet!"

            "Do you want to hear the rest or not?" Rogue asked, struggling to get out of Kitty's tight hold. 

            "Of course! Like, spill it! This is so much better than any romance novel!"

            Rolling her eyes, Rogue continued. "I left school and found him at this southern restaurant. He was sulking in the corner. I told him that I knew about what happened and blurted out that I…" Rogue blushed and sheepishly whispered, "I blurted out that I love him too."

            Kitty gasped, his eyes quickly turning glassy. "Did you mean it?"

            Rogue nodded. "I told him that I loved him and didn't care about his past."

            "Oh, that is so Pretty Woman! What happened after that?" 

            "Er…" Rogue face became much warmer.

            "Oh no! You didn't, like, go back to his house while everyone was at school and made out or something, did you?" Kitty asked, teasing.

            Rogue groaned and slowly nodded.

            "What?!" Kitty quickly grabbed a pillow and smacked Rogue over the head. "You did? Seriously? Rogue, you are so mean if you're, like, pulling my leg!"

            Smiling, Rogue murmured teasingly, "He has a tattoo on his upper arm and very gentle hands."

            Kitty screamed and covered her ears. "Our little Roguey is growing up so fast," she muttered, shaking her head. Immediately an impish Kitty asked, "How far did you, like, go?"

            "Err…almost positive that he knows my cup size?"

            Kitty gasped. "You little tramp! Then what happened?"

            "The phone rang."

            "I hate when that, like, happens!"

            Rogue shot her a quizzical look. 

            "Never really happened to me but I totally, like, feel your pain," Kitty quickly muttered, nodding. "So I guess he got up and answered? Then what happened?"

            Rogue blushed with embarrassment. "I feel asleep."

            "What?! You fell asleep?!" Kitty was beside herself with disbelief. "How could you, like, fall asleep with the most gorgeous man …er … flinging himself at you?!"

            "I was tired!"

            Kitty looked indignant. "You were, like, crazy!"

            "I was up half the night worrying, Kitty."

            Kitty shook her head. "I can't believe you, Rogue! You could have waited for him to at least, like, ditch the shirt or something! You missed your chance to, like, check him out! I bet he had, like, a really great body!"

            Rogue could just see Kitty drooling and lightly smacked her arm. "Hey, he's my boyfriend!"

            "Sorry. I couldn't, like, help it," she replied, smiling. "Gambit is totally hot!"

            Rogue rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Whatever. When I woke up both John and Piotr were home and John was giving Remy a hard time for running away. Then Piotr got a call from Russia, saying that his mama had passed away. John and Remy were pretty upset about it."

            Kitty frowned. "That's, like, so sad. What's Piotr going to do?"

            "I don't know. I was going to ask Remy about it tomorrow."

            "That's horrible," Kitty murmured, shaking her head. "I guess that news shook you up too."

            "Yeah, a little," she admitted. "I kept thinking about what would happen if one of us died. Talk about depressing."

            Kitty offered a small smile and placed a hand on Rogue's shoulder.

            "I don't know what it is," Rogue muttered, "but I get this really weird feeling inside, like something's going to happen to one of us."

            "Don't, like, talk like that," Kitty told her. "Remember what, like, Mr. Logan said. Nothing's going to happen as long as we have him and Xavier around. They will totally protect us."

            "I know," Rogue replied softly. "It's just that I can't shake this feeling."

            "I bet it's nothing. Maybe you're just, like, tired?"

            "Maybe." Rogue sighed and climbed to her feet. "I gotta take a shower, Kitty. Then I'm going to bed."

            "All right. I'll be downstairs in the kitchen."

            "Hey, Kitty?"

            "Yeah?"

            "Don't mention any of this to Kurt, all right?"

            Kitty blushed and nodded her head. "Sure, Rogue."

~*~*~*~

            "Ouch," Rogue murmured under her breath when she felt a hand on her sore shoulder. She was standing at her locker the next day, her body in taut pain from head to toe, almost ready to head to the cafeteria for lunch.

            "Sorry_, chere," Gambit replied behind her, quickly removing his hand._

            Rogue smiled weakly at him over her shoulder and said, "S'okay. I'm sore all over. Logan made me do a session in the Danger Room last night."

            "So I guess that you got into trouble, then?"

            Rogue nodded and closed her locker. "I'm grounded for the rest of the week because I skipped school again." 

            Gambit carefully wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, placing a little kiss on the top of her head. "Gambit's glad that you skipped."

            "Me, too," she replied, blushing. 

            "But since you are grounded, Gambit can only see you at school now?" he asked, slowly leading them down the hall towards the café. 

            "Yep."

            "That's tough," he replied. 

            She tired to nod but ended up wincing when pain shot through her neck. "Ouch," she murmured, frowning.

            "You in a lot of pain there, _chere_?"

            "Not a lot," she admitted, with a sigh. "Just a little."

            Gambit smiled down at her and brought a hand to the back of her neck, the long leather-clad fingers slowly pressing down and rubbing the sore spots gently. "You are very tense."

            "I know," she muttered, sighing with pleasure as he massaged her neck. "Can't help it. Everything hurts."

            "Why don't Gambit rub your shoulders doing lunch?" he offered.

            Rogue closed her eyes in delight and smiled. "I'd love that. Gambit?"

            "_Oui?"_

            "Um…how's Piotr doing? He's not here today."

            She heard Gambit sigh, the hand at her neck going still for a moment. "He's going out of him mind," he finally replied. "He contacted Magneto and told him what happened. But that bastard wouldn't give him leave so he can't fly to Russia to take care of his Mama's funeral."

            Rogue gasped, indignant.

            "So, Piotr has to make calls and get the funeral put together by phone. He won't even be there when they bury her."

            "That's awful, Remy!"

            Gambit nodded in agreement. "John was completely beside himself and almost cussed Magneto out on the phone. Luckily, we stopped him in time. If he wanted to, Magneto could really make John pay."

            "You guys sure look after each other like brothers," Rogue commented nostalgically. 

            Gambit shrugged. "Feels like we are family sometimes," he told her. "We are there for all the ups and downs. We understand each other; we tolerate and accept. I guess that's as close to a family us poor mutants can have."

            Rogue frowned, not liking the sadness in his voice. She grasped his hand and said, "No matter what happens, you and John and Piotr will always be family. Even if you're torn apart or defamed, you guys will always be close. And, hey, you got me too, right?"

            "Yes, Gambit has de rogue." He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her forehead. "_Merci, chere_," he murmured quietly. (Thank you, dear)

"Have you found anything about John's plan?" she asked.

            Gambit shook his head. "Nope. He won't say a word He's just hacking into every computer for some reason. He's looking for something but I don't know what he's up too. Just says that he needs more time. Whatever he's planning Gambit hopes that it will be enough."

            "I guess we just have to wait and see," Rogue murmured. "Do you want to eat outside today? It's really nice."

            Gambit smirked down at her. "Gambit thought that you Gothic _filles hated the sunlight." (girls)_

            "I don't follow the stereotype," she responded saucily. "Now come on. My shoulders need a massage."

            "Gambit, personal slave to the beautiful, voluptuous Rogue," he murmured under his breath. "Not that he don't mind at all."

            She looked up at him as if he had lost his mind. "Voluptuous?" she asked, incredulous. "You think I'm voluptuous?"

            "_Oui," he replied, winking at her. _

            "Are you crazy, Remy?"

"No, _chere," he said, smiling. "The moment Gambit first saw you he knew that you had a very passionate spirit. All it took was a little alone time with your favorite Cajun to help you find it."_

            Rogue blushed and rolled her eyes. "Let's not talk about yesterday, Remy. It's so humiliating!"

            Gambit smirked and kissed the top of her head again. "But you enjoyed yourself, _non? Besides Remy was just as content to hold you while you slept."_

            "Most guys wouldn't have appreciated their girlfriends falling asleep like that," Rogue said.

            "But Remy isn't most guys, _chere_."

             "That's true. You are the cream of the crop," she teased.

             Gambit smiled down at her and asked, "The cream of the crop and your own slave, what more could you ask in a boyfriend?"

            "How about someone who isn't the enemy?" a snooty voice of a female interrupted them.

            Rogue and Gambit paused, looking straight forward, too nonplussed to say anything for a moment. Jean was standing before them, hands on her hips and looking none to pleased to see them together.

            Rogue soon regained her wits, angry on Gambit's behalf, and snapped, "Who the hell asked you?"

            "Well, seeing that you aren't listening to Logan or Scott, I decided to take the matter into my own hands," Jean replied haughtily. "Rogue, Gambit is the enemy and you are an X-men. You shouldn't be hanging around him. It's dangerous."

            "The only thing that is dangerous is your face in the morning," Rogue answered. "Now, get out of my business before I…"

            "Listen, Rogue, I'm your superior…"

            "So? I don't care who the hell you are. Stay out of my life, Jean!" 

            "No, Rogue! I won't let you let down the team by seeing him!"

            "You just can't stand to see me happy, can you?" Rogue replied. "You just can't stand that someone likes me for who I am when you have no one!"

            "Ladies," Gambit quickly stepped in, placing firm, restraining hands on Rogue's shoulders before she flew at the older girl. "Let's just calm down. Not very apropos to start a brawl in the middle of the hallway."

            Jean rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you thought of that very same thing when you attacked Mike on Tuesday."

            "That was an accident," Rogue angrily retorted. "Anyway, Mike was being a huge jerk. He deserved to have his big head deflated."

            "Gambit didn't mean harm but he insulted Rogue," Gambit said. "Had to do something about his crude mouth."

            "And beating him up was the way to clean up his language?"

            Gambit sighed. "Listen, Jean Grey, Gambit doesn't want any trouble but he knows that you probably hate him only because he's with Magneto. What you don't know is that Gambit is on his side against his will."

            "Oh, whatever!"

            "That's the reality," Gambit urged, his voice dispassionate. "Magneto can be very persuasive and very forceful to get what he wants. And he wanted a team of skilled mutants and he got that even if he had to play dirty to do so."

            Jean looked a little confused.

            Gambit looked down at Rogue, smiled, and grasped her hand in his. "The truth is, Rogue means a lot to me. I could never hurt her. She's beautiful, caring, generous, loving, selfless, and a million other things." He looked over that Jean and said, "But the way you treat her makes me wonder how much you really know Rogue and care for her."

            Jean frowned, looking insulted. "I do care for her."

            "Then trust her and let her do what she thinks is right. As family, that's the least you could do for her," Gambit replied. As Jean thought about what he said, Gambit tugged on Rogue's hand and she looked up. "Come on, _chere. Let's go to lunch."_

            They left Jean to her thoughts and walked to the cafeteria.

~*~*~*~

            "Saturday night and here I am cleaning the bathroom floor," Rogue muttered angrily as she swashed the wet, disgusting mop to and fro across the tiled floor. "Not that I have much of a social life to speak of anyway. Still it would have been nice to do something with Remy or go to the mall with Storm."

             Rogue paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from her flushed brow. Glancing over she saw her reflection in the mirror and frowned. "Like I look good enough to go anywhere tonight," she continued. She was wearing a shabby pair of gray sweatpants there were cut just below the knee, and large white T-shirt, old sneakers, and a dark bandana was tied around her head to keep her hair from her eyes. Oh, yes, she looked very fashionable.

             "Stop stalling and start cleaning, kid," Logan spoke up, poking his head through the doorway to see her work. "You've got another 3 bathrooms to do and then the kitchen."

            Rogue glowered and continued to mop.

~*~*~*~

           Up in her shared bedroom, Kitty took full advantage of her time alone. On her mat and dressed in a pale pink leotard, she practiced her yoga in the quiet of the room. She usually did it in the gym but since Rogue was occupied somewhere else, Kitty didn't feel the need to walk all the way to the gym to stretch her muscles.

           Humming softly to herself, Kitty concentrated as she bent over backwards and lifted one thin leg into the air. She breathed slowly and after a few moments adjusting to the position, she pushed herself up on her tiptoes and fingertips. Usually, she screwed this move up by losing her poise and toppling over. But tonight she was almost positive that she'd be able to pull it off since there was nothing to distract her.

           She held the position for a few seconds and when her legs started to ache, she slowly began to lower herself. "Steady, Kitty," she murmured. "Don't wanna, like, break my neck."

           A tapping at her window made her look towards it automatically and she quickly lost her balance. She fell to the ground in a pile of limbs.  

           "Ouch!"

          The tapping continued. Annoyed, Kitty looked at her window. It was probably some stupid bird or bug. She didn't expect to see two vibrant red eyes peering at her through the thin curtains.

            "Gambit?!" She quickly got up and hurried to the tall window, unlocking it and pushing it open. "Like, what are you doing here?"

He was leaning nonchalantly against the stone banister, dressed all in black. He flashed a quick smile and said, "_Bonsoir_, kitty cat." (Good evening)

             "Er…hi," Kitty replied, blushing. "How did you, like, get passed the security system?"

            Gambit shrugged. "A secret, _ma petite chatte_."

            "This is really, like, dangerous. If Mr. Logan senses you, he will come up here and…"

            "Don't worry, _chere._ Gambit won't get caught," he promised her. "Where's Rogue?"

            "She's, like, cleaning."

            "Good," Gambit murmured, nodding deeply. He stood up and reached into his long black coat and pulled out a card, which he handed over to Kitty.

            "What is it?" she asked. 

            "_La carte du amour," he replied, smiling. (The card of love ^___^)_

            Kitty looked down at the card in her hands. It was a King of Hearts and there was a message on the other side. " 'The king is missing his queen'? I don't get it but it sounds totally sweet, Gambit!"

            He smiled and said, "Will you make sure Rogue gets it?"

            "Yeah! Totally!" she eagerly replied.

"_Merci, Kitty," he said, winking at her, and before she knew it, Gambit was gone in a blink of an eye. Kitty gasped in surprise and looked over the balcony to catch any signs of the retreating thief. But it was too dark to see him so she gave up, sighing and quietly shutting the window. _

"Why can't there be, like, more men like him around?" she asked.

            "More men like who?" Rogue asked, walking into the bedroom.

            Kitty nearly jumped out of her skin from surprise and spun around, her blue eyes big as saucers. "Rogue, like, don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed.

            Rogue rolled her eyes and closed the door. "Whatever."

            "So…er…how was your day?" Kitty asked, watching as the other girl puttered around the bedroom.

            "Boring," she murmured, pulling off her bandana and shaking her thick hair free. "Logan made me clean the kitchen two times! God, I just want a shower!"

            "I have something for you that might brighten you day," Kitty told her, smiling.

            "What is it?"

            "Here," Kitty held out the card, her smiling widening.

            Rogue looked slightly suspicious and slowly moved across the large room to join the younger girl by the window. She reached for the card gingerly and regarded it. After a few seconds, she sighed and smiled, her finger slowly tracing the words on the glossy paper.

            "Gambit?"

            "Who else?" Kitty laughed. "He, like, stopped by a few second ago before you walked in."                   

            "He came here? Is he gone?"

            Kitty nodded. "What's it, like, mean anyway?"

            "The note on the card?" Rogue asked.

            "Yeah."

            "Hold on," Rogue told her, quickly walking to her nightstand. She opened the top drawer and searched through it. When she found what she was looking for she held it up. "When we met in the park, he gave me the Queen of Hearts."

            Kitty wanted to melt right then. "Really?! Like, that's so romantic!"

            Rogue smiled and said, "It's so cheesy. But I have to admit that I don't mind."

~*~*~*~

            By the time Gambit got home, John was out and Piotr was brooding in the solitude of his room. The house was unusually silent and it unnerved him.

            "Piotr?" Gambit called up the steps. "You all right, _mon ami_?"

            "Yes, Remy," he heard the deep accented voice reluctantly reply a few seconds later. 

            "Are you hungry?"

            "No."

            Gambit sighed and moved away from the stairs. Piotr was a stubborn man and it would take more than Gambit to lead him out of his depression. He walked into the kitchen to pick up a late snack but the phone rang and he picked it up.

            Probably for Piotr, he thought grimly.

            "Hello?"

            "Gambit?"

            Gambit froze, hearing the familiar voice.

            "That you Magneto?" he dreaded to ask.

            "Yes."

            "How is business in France?"

            "Something has come up, Gambit," Magneto said over the phone. "I'm back in Bayville."

            He frowned. "Really? What's up?"

            "I want you to meet me at the headquarters in half an hour."

            "What about John and Piotr?"

            "Come alone. It's better to let Piotr sulk and John can't aid me. Only you can."

            "Okay," Gambit murmured. "Gambit'll be there."

To be continued….

**Author's note: A complete fluff chapter, mixed with a little angst and suspense. Ooh la la! I wonder what will happen! Next chapter will be the last! Hope you liked! Please review!**


	11. A Meeting of Tribulation

**In the Rain by Yui**

**Author's Note: So sorry for the late update! Major writer's block and busy schedule. I was almost done with the story when this great idea popped into my head! So it had to rewrite some of it to put it in! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! They made me so happy. I don't know if there is a headquarters for the Acolytes. If there is, I don't know where it is so I kinda guessed. **

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the X-men in any way, shape, or form

~*~*~*~

Chapter 11

A Meeting of Tribulation

            After the call from Magneto was finished, Gambit left the house without telling Piotr the truth. Knowing that the distraught Russian would worry about the meeting and probably press to accompany him, Gambit said that he was going out to catch a late movie at the theater instead. Besides, it was best the Piotr didn't know that Magneto was back in town so soon. So Gambit went alone. 

He got on his motorcycle and quickly drove to the headquarters, a warehouse on the edge of the city. He was a little worried about why Magneto wanted to see him. What was so urgent? Why did Magneto want to see just him? Granted, Piotr and John were just has skilled as he was to some extent. Even though he was nervous, Gambit forced himself to stay calm and cocky on the outside, like the gambler he was. That was critical. If you wear your expressions on your sleeve, so to speak, the game would be up.  

            In the dark, Gambit pulled up to the old building and slowly steered the bike into the empty garage. No one was around and the silence hung thick like cream in the menacing air. It gave him the creeps but he knew how to hide it. Forcing up a mask of smugness, he went to search for his boss. He quietly stole into the large main chamber of the building, swaggering like a man with brazen confidence and a huge ego.

"Magneto?" he called out. Even with his skilled thief eyes, he had trouble seeing anything with just the dim floodlights on overhead. "Magneto? It's Gambit."

            "You're quick as usual," the deep-voiced mutant spoke up. He was standing behind Gambit, clothed in the lush darkness. "Good."

Gambit paused, caught off guard. But he recovered his wits abruptly and he turned to confront Magneto, flashing a saucy grin. Since when would he let someone sneak up on him like that, he admonished himself. Usually Magneto wasn't the one to hide. That made Gambit all the more nervous. 

"You know de Gambit," he retorted, shrugging nonchalantly. "Never late for a mission." 

            "Did you tell the others where you were going?"

            "Nah. Lied."

            "Good. I wouldn't want them to blunder my plans," Magneto murmured.

            "Plans for what?" Gambit queried, enticed. "What are you going to do this time 'round? You want me to steal something?"

            Even with the mask shadowing his face, Gambit could sense that Magneto smirked and didn't like it one bit. "Yes, Gambit, I would like for you to steal something," he replied, his voice as smooth like water. "It's very important and very possible for you capable expertise."

            Gambit forced a lopsided grin. "What is it then?" he asked. "A precious jewel? Maybe a valuable ancient artifact?"

            "No," Magneto answered. "I want you to steal something from the X-men." 

            Gambit frowned. "What did you have in mind?"

            "The usual, Gambit. Access codes, passwords, cerebro documents and files. Anything at all will prove helpful for me to be one step closer to destroy Xavier." 

            "Not to give you grief, Magneto, but why now?" Gambit asked. "Does it have anything to do with your work in France?"

            "No. The time is right for this mission. France can wait."

            "Even with my capable expertise, stealing the secrets of that team can't be done alone," Gambit murmured. "They are very…er…secretive. John could easily hack into their computers."

            "Hacking into computers is not what I had in mind," Magneto replied. "This just involves you." 

"Only me? And just how would I get secrets from them? Steal into the mansion one night and take whatever looks pretty?"

Magneto chuckled softly, but it sounded like a snake's hiss to Gambit. "You should know what to do, Gambit. You were the one who gave me this idea. That's the reason for the girl, Rogue, right, Gambit?"

Gambit hesitated, icy dread slowly making its way into his body to clutch his heart. 

Magneto snickered and stepped closer to him. "I really must applaud your dedication for the team, Gambit," the elder mutant announced. "While I was away in France, you still worked unceasingly for me."

Gambit's stomach twisted into a thousand knots. "So you want me to use Rogue to get secrets about the x-men for you?"

"Naturally. It's a perfect plan. She is guileless enough to fall for anything," Magneto replied. "And since you obviously made her trust you, the job will be as simple as taking candy from a baby and easier than hacking into their computers. Xavier wouldn't know what hit him."

Angry suddenly, Gambit stopped himself from defending her just in time. He needed to play it cool. 

"Seems like a good plan," he told Magneto. "But what if Rogue won't do it?"

"If she doesn't, force her, Gambit."

"Looks like you gave this some thought," he remarked. "But what if I won't do it? What if I say no?"

"What?" That took the bastard by surprise. "You wouldn't dare…"

Gambit shrugged. "I could."

 "You know I can ruin you, Gambit. I tell the authorities of your unfortunate little mishap in New Orleans," he replied, his voice dropping dangerously as he glared at the boy. "You don't want to meet the police do you?"

"I don't care about that anymore," Gambit vehemently declared. "Tell the police. Tell anyone you fucking what too. I won't do that to Rogue. She trusts me."

"Are you telling me that girl means more to you than your freedom?" Magneto sneered. "Pathetic."

Gambit scowled and murmured, "I quit, Magneto. I quit the Acolytes and I quit being your goddamn puppet." He turned away, determined to walk back to the garage and leave on his bike. But Magneto stopped him.

"I won't let you go that easy, Gambit," he replied. "Sabertooth?"

A low, dangerous growl from the shadows made Gambit jump out of surprise. Eyes shooting quickly over his shoulder, he saw a large dark shadow loom over him. A large clawed hand reached out from the darkness. Before he could defend himself, a heavy blow was delivered to his head and he blacked out, falling to the ground lifelessly.

~*~*~*~

The deed was done and when it was over, Sabertooth sneered when he looked down at his beloved trench coat. 

"The blood's never going to wash away," he growled, despising the dark stains on his clothing and clawed hands. On the cold ground before him was the body of Gambit, unconscious, barely alive, and viciously beaten. 

"He's bleeding everywhere," Magneto said from behind. "Dispose of him quickly."

"Where?"

Magneto smirked and said, "To the X-men. Let them take care of Gambit. He won't last the night."

Sabertooth nodded and quickly bend down to pluck the heavy body from the ground and tossed him over his shoulder none to gently. His loathing deepened when he noticed that there would be more dark red blood tainting his clothes. He would smell like that dirty Swamp Rat for weeks. Then he slowly trekked out of the headquarters.

The Xavier Institute was quiet when Sabertooth arrived. The only life was come from within the bright walls of the mansion and ground around it was still and dark, a perfect place to leave Gambit.

Growling, Sabertooth grabbed the boy and gracefully tossed his body over the high fence. There was a sickening thud when Gambit landed on the other side that made him smile.

"You are out of our hands now, boy," he murmured and quickly hurried away, knowing that before long Wolverine would catch his scent.

~*~*~*~

As usual Logan was roaming down the hallways of the mansion on his nightly watch. He was suspicious. It was too damn quiet and calm to be a Saturday night. Usually the kids were run up and down the mansion roughhousing like a pack of wild hyenas. It was damn annoying and nerve grating. But, as Logan noted, he much preferred the spirited noise to the ringing silence. When a sanguine scent in the air caught his full attention, his body tensed, ready for action.

"Not so calm after all," he snarled. Sniffing and concentrating on the smell, he didn't notice when Rogue opened the bathroom door and shot him a baffled look.

"Logan?" she asked, toweling of her damp hair. "What are you doing?"

Logan growled low in his throat and glanced at her in the corner of his eye. "I smell that Swamp Rat."

The girl immediately paled, nervous. Her hands stilled for a moment. "Really?"

"Yeah, and a lot of blood," he continued, his metal claws quickly shooting up from the back of his hands.

"Blood?" Rogue echoed. A look of anxiety rushed to the surface of her face.  "_Remy's_ blood? Are you sure?"

Logan dashed to a window and quickly threw to open for better access to the scent. He stuck his head outside and took a deep breath and almost choked. "Coming from outside, from the lawn," he murmured. There's so much damn blood in the air, he noticed. "What's going on?"

Rogue was behind him instantly, trying to look through the window. "Logan, what is it?" she demanded, her voice strained and frightened. "Where's Remy?"

Logan turned around, looking dismal. "Rogue, just go to your room and stay there."

She frowned at him, her eyes flashing with anger and annoyance. "I ain't goin' anywhere," she told him, "unless you tell me what's going on."

"I don't _know_ what's going on," Logan lied. "Just stay behind, will ya?" With that he dashed down the hall towards Ororo's room.

"Ororo!" he called out, banging hard on the door. "Open up."

Looking more than a little irritated, the cool-eyed goddess opened her door and frowned at him from across the doorway. She was dressed in her nightclothes with a thick book in her hand. "What is it, Logan?"

"Get McCoy ready in the med-lab."

The prickly annoyance flew out of her blue eyes and was quickly replaced with concern. "Logan, why? Is some hurt?"

"Hurt is an understatement," he growled. "And turn of the security system, too."

She looked confused but nodded anyway. She moved out of her room quickly and hurried down the hall to alert Beast. Logan frowned and ran downstairs, pushing passed the younger mutants on the way to bed. Surprised, they gawked after him, eyeing his bared claws with caution and curiosity.

"Logan, what's wrong?" Scott called from the foyer as Logan threw the front door open. 

The older mutant didn't answer him and was in the cool outside in less then five seconds. Sniffing the air to follow the scent, he called over his shoulder, "Anyone of you steps outside the mansion and you will have to deal with me!"

The group of kids forming by the front door murmured, interested and a little frightened by what was going on.

_Logan, what's happening? Professor Xavier's voice urgently popped into Logan's brain._

_I don't have a clue, Charles, he immediately replied.__ Someone's hurt. Might be Gambit. I smell his blood and Sabertooth._

_Sabertooth? Be careful, Logan. _

When Xavier was gone, Logan went back to work. He growled when he noticed where the scent was the strongest. He ran off towards it. It was dark but a few moments later he found the body lying facedown on the cold ground, covered in blood. The scent overwhelmed him and disgusted him. Scowling in concentration, he quickly knelt down next to Gambit and looked for any signs of life.

"Oh, God! _Remy!" Rogue's shrill scream pierced the air and sent shivers down Logan's spine._

He frown deepened and quickly looked up. She was suddenly only feet away with Ororo by her side. The woman was trying to Rogue to go back to the mansion but she ignored her. The girl was shaking uncontrollably; her green eyes were wide with shock and horror as she stared at the boy's body. She took a step closer to Gambit, her legs barely supporting her. 

Logan saw her pause and shudder violently, her trembling hands shooting up to grip the side of her face. Her saw her eyes glow brilliantly white before a strong, icy wind swept across the yard, tearing vivaciously at the slumbering trees. Overhead, a flash of lightening pierced the dark sky, too bright and dangerous for comfort.

"Rogue, don't!" he yelled at her, knowing that seeing the boy had made her lose control over her pilfered powers.  

"I can't stop it!" she sobbed back, frightened, her hands pulling her hair angrily. "I can't control it!"

Fearless, Ororo quickly moved forward and grabbed Rogue, pulling her into a tight, protective hug.

"Don't look at him, child," she murmured softly, covering Rogue's eyes. "Don't look. He'll be all right. Try to calm down, child."

Almost immediately, the monstrous wind and the lightening ceased. An eerie silence returned and Rogue was sobbing without sound against the older, composed mutant.

Logan's frown turned grim when he looked over at Ororo. She gave a stiff nod and slowly led the girl back to the mansion. Then Logan stood up and carefully collected the unconscious boy in his arms.

 ~*~*~*~

Gambit was down in the med-lab under the apprehensive watch of Ororo, Xavier, Logan, and Hank. He was still unconscious as he lay on the firm bed and stripped of his bloody garments and washed clean. Hank had carefully dressed him in a simple cotton gown after the wounds had been bandaged and broken bones set back into place. Gambit looked ungodly pale as Hank hooked him up to countless beeping machines. 

"He's in a terrible condition. He has several broken bones," Hank murmured softly to the other adults, "many cuts, bruises, and suffers from a concussion and a coma. But I don't think there are any internal injuries. He's lost a lot of blood and his heartbeat is weak." He glanced at the other adults and confessed, "I'm amazed he's still alive."

"When will he regain consciousness?" Ororo dreaded to inquire.

Hank shook his head sadly, shrugging his broad shoulders. "I don't know. A day? A week? We just have to wait."

Ororo sighed deeply and shook her head, her long white locks gliding to and fro over her back. "How could this have happened?" she murmured, glancing down sadly to look at the comatose boy. "Did Magneto turn on him?"

Logan snarled. "I smell Sabertooth all over him," he replied with prominent disgust. "It's definitely his handiwork."

"We don't know that for sure until I can look inside his mind, Logan" Xavier commented. "But it looks like that's the case."

"Will he be all right?"

"I'll do all I can, Ororo," Hank murmured. "But it's going to be a long night."

"A long night, indeed." In his wheelchair, Xavier turned around and headed for the door. "I am calling the remaining Acolytes to tell them the news of Gambit."

"If you do, don't you think that they will want to see him immediately?" Ororo asked.

"Yes and I won't deny them either," he answered, his voice grave with solemnity. "If Sabertooth did this to Gambit why would he stop? The other two boys are safer here, at the Institute."

"I agree." Ororo placed a mocha-tinged hand on Xavier's shoulder, stopping him before he exited the lab. "Rogue is still waiting out there, Charles," she told him. "Will you let her see Gambit tonight? She almost lost control when she saw him earlier."

Xavier sighed and pressed his fingers against his tired, aching eyes. "So I have been told, Ororo," he replied. "But it's best that I let her see him. Denying her would only upset her."

Ororo nodded silently in accord and assisted Xavier into the hallway. Outside of the med-lab there was quite a crowd of the younger mutants, standing around in pajamas in the thick apprehensive atmosphere. They looked nervously towards the professor for some answers when he appeared.

Scott was the first to speak up. "Professor, what's going on? Is someone hurt?"

"It's all right," Xavier assured them. "I will speak to you all in the morning. Unfortunately it's too late to talk about it night."

"But, Professor!" Scott pressed, agitated and insulted that Xavier wouldn't confide in him.

"Please go back to your rooms everyone and rest," Xavier calmly proceeded, disregarding the older boy. "Tomorrow you will have your explanation."

The kids murmured in response, accepting Xavier's words, and gradually began to filter out of the passageway until only Kitty, Kurt, Jean, Scott, and Rogue were left. Rogue was sitting down on the bench, shaken and ghostly pale with her slender legs drawn up to her chin. A peaked Kitty sat beside her, a protective arm wrapped tightly around Rogue's trembling shoulders.

"Professor?" Rogue asked. Her normally strong voice was surprisingly weak and unsure as she looked at him, her big eyes longing for to know the truth but more than a little scared.

"You can come inside and see him, Rogue," he told her. He looked at the other students. "Jean, Scott, please give us some time. Kitty and Kurt, you can stay with Rogue if she wants that."

Sniffing, Rogue nodded her head and stood up with Kitty's help. 

"Is he gonna be okay, Professor?"

Xavier sighed and said, "I don't know, Rogue. But when you are in the lab, I want you to try to restrain control over your emotions. If you don't, your powers will go unchecked again."

"Yes, sir," she muttered, frowning through a new wave of tears. She wiped them away and swallowed hard. Sighing, she asked in a soft voice, "What happened to him?"

"We suspect Sabertooth," he admitted grimly.

A small, strangled sob escaped Rogue's throat and she quickly placed a hand over her mouth, brow twined with grief. Kitty frowned, full of pity for the trembling older girl, and gently pulled her closer.

"Come on, Rogue," she whispered gently. "Let's go see Remy. He'll be all right."

Rogue shook her head. "No, he won't, Kitty," she rebutted angrily. "You didn't see him out there. He was so bloody, so still. It was like in some horrible movie…"

"Shh, don't, like, think about it. Try to stay calm, like the professor said," the younger girl urged. "Mr. McCoy's, like, taking really good care of him. You'll see."

Rogue did argue and allowed Kitty to escort her into the utilized med-lab with Kurt slowly trailing after them. Once inside, Ororo, Logan, and Hank quickly made room for the younger mutants. It was warm inside the lab and very bright. Machines were beeping constantly, the noise echoing around the quiet room.

Rogue bit her lower lip when she saw Gambit lying on the bed, feeling her control waver at the harrowing sight. Removing herself from Kitty's arms, she cautiously proceeded towards the bedside. Gambit was so pale as he slept and his skin was so bruised and swollen that she could hardly see the familiar, handsome face. He was bounded to so many machines by slender plastic tubes and covered with so many bandages. It looked like something out of a horror film.

She reached out hesitantly, her leather clad fingers shaking. "He looks so weak," she murmured fearfully. "It is all right if I touch him, Mr. McCoy?"

Hank gave a gentle nod.

Gently, almost scared to touch him, Rogue's fingers grazed Gambit's cheek and brushed his messy hair away from his forehead. Tears quickly formed in her eyes, blurring her vision, and glided down her sullen face. 

"When will he wake up?" she asked, wincing as her words pressed painfully through her tight, dry throat. 

"I wish I knew, Rogue," Hank replied. His grim words were followed by a cumbersome sigh. 

"Will he be all right?"

"I'll try my best, Rogue. I really will."

Slowly her composure melted away and she was trembling, sobbing mess. Shaking with anger and grief, she vehemently exclaimed, "This is all my damn fault! He was hurt because of me! Magneto must have found out…" A dozen of glass beakers around the room shuddered before shattering into pieces but she didn't care. He other mutants jumped back with surprise.

"That's so not true, Rogue, and you know it!" Kitty stepped forward to argue. "We don't even, like, know how did it! It could have, like, been anyone!"

"But he's so tore up!" she cried. "What if he dies?"

"Rogue, Gambit's not going to die. Mr. McCoy will do, like, everything to keep him alive. You know he will!"

 "Please try to calm down, Rogue!" Ororo pleaded. Her usually calm voice was laced with concern. "Get control of your emotions."

Rogue frowned, knowing that Ororo was right. She bit her lip, concentrating as she forced all her raging sorrow and rage down, locking it behind a false mask of apathy. 

Ephemerally composed again, she brushed her tears away and whispered, "This is all my fault." She gently touched Gambit's face again. "Remy, please don't hate me. I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." Sighing tearfully, she sat down on the chair next to the bed. She held his still hand in hers. Even through the leather glove she could feel how cold he was. 

"I'm going to stay with him tonight," she said. "I promise to stay in control. I just don't want to leave him alone." 

"Of course," Hank replied. Logan and Storm nodded and quietly withdrew from the room. 

"Rogue, if you need anything just, like, ask, okay?" Kitty said before she left with Kurt. "I'll phase down here as quickly as I, like, can."

"It's okay," Rogue told her, not looking at the other girl. "You don't need to do that. I just want to be alone." 

Kitty sighed, her delicate face contorted as she kept her tears in check, and exited with Kurt before she started to cry her eyes out.

For an hour, Rogue did nothing but watch Gambit sleep in his death-like coma, sometimes crying softly and sometimes feeling as numb as if she had been walking around into the snow with nothing on. Hank moved around the silent lab, checking the machines attached to Gambit as quietly and discreetly as possible with his large blue form. It was late in the night when the door to the lab opened and John and Piotr rushed inside along with Logan. Rogue looked up in surprise.

"Holy shit!" John exclaimed, pausing momentarily to stare of Gambit. "What the fuck happened to him?" (**a/n: oh, John. Ever the comic relief ^^;)**

"John, Piotr, what are you guys doing here?"

Moving pass John, Piotr silently joined Rogue by the bedside. He rested a large but gentle hand on her shoulder. "We came as soon as Xavier called us, Rogue," he told her. 

"He told us that we oughta come by because Gambit was hurt. Fuck, I didn't think it was this bad!" John's voice cracked ad he looked away, his eyes glassy under the white light.

Piotr shot him a sympathetic look before turning back to Rogue and asking, "How are you?"

"I've been better," she replied, wiping away her tears. She looked up into his poised face, her heart breaking when she saw his silent anguish. She reached up and touched his hand. "I'm so sorry this happened especially since your mama just passed away."

Piotr gave a heavy sigh and glanced towards Gambit. "I am sorry too, Rogue. I know how much he means to you."

"So, what happened to him?" John tentatively asked.

"This was not an accident. Gambit's too smart to let himself be overpowered, John," Piotr murmured darkly. "It had to be someone bigger and stronger."

John frowned and asked, "Sabertooth? That's whack, mate! Him and Magneto are in France."

Piotr shook his head. "Gambit went someplace tonight. Some place secret. He lied to me, I knew it, but I didn't question him. Besides, it does look like something Sabertooth is capable of."

John sighed and cautiously moved closer to the bed. "Fucking bastard," he muttered fiercely. "I'll kill him." 

"Me too," Rogue murmured softly to herself, her voice hard and stoic.

John looked over at Rogue, his anger replaced with compassion. "How's the Swamp Rat doin'?"

"Not so good," Rogue murmured. "Mr. McCoy said that he's in a coma and has a couple of broken bones."

Piotr shook his head. "I cannot believe this. Magneto will pay for what he's done no matter what."

"Hell, yes, he's gonna pay!" John shouted, furious. "He just can't get way with this shit!" 

"But can't Magneto retaliate against y'all or something?"

John shook his head, a grim smile on his face. "Not after this. Piotr, it can't wait. The plan's going to happen tonight."

"Of course."

"Just what are you talking about, kid?" Logan asked from the doorway.

"We can't be on Magneto's side anymore," John told him. "And I have a way that we can get away scot-free and we're going to do it tonight. It can't wait anymore."

"We're? Meaning just you too?" Rogue asked. "If you are going to confront Magneto, it's too dangerous to go by yourselves."

"Yeah, it will be," John replied, glancing down at his inanimate friend. "That's why were taking Wolvie too."

"Excuse me?" Logan queried, frowning.

"Him and whatever other people you can spare."

Logan growled and murmured, "I'll get Storm."

"I'm going too," Rogue spoke up. 

Logan looked back at her and shook his head. "Not this time, Stripes. There might be a confrontation and you're in no condition to fight. You could lose control and hurt yourself."

Rogue frowned. "I can handle it. I want Sabertooth and Magneto to pay for what they did to Remy!"

"I know you do," he replied, sighing. "But I can't let you go. Just leave this to us."

Seething with anger, she watched as he left with the Acolytes. Hank sighed when he heard the air around Rogue simmer with electricity, her eyes glowing faintly white.

I might have to give her some sleeping pills before too long, he mused, walking out of the lab to get more bandages for the boy.

Rogue watched as Beast left and quickly jumped to her feet, unsheathing her toxic hand. She flexed it in the bright light, the pallid skin almost porcelain. Glancing towards the door, she made sure that no one was around to barge in and see what she was doing. No one was coming.

"Sorry about this, Remy," she murmured, extending her exposed hand over his face. "If they won't let be go, I'll go my own way."

She held her breath as she touched her fingers to his forehead. Immediately she felt his life forced flow into her body and she automatically wanted to recoil, her body rebelling against the life and memories that were not hers and still burrowing their way inside. She forced herself to stay put and tried not to faint. Concentrating, she willed his memories to wash over her brain, willing herself to rob his mind. 

Even with her eyes closed tightly she saw fragmented pieces of his childhood in the bayou, his grueling years as a thief, and even the murder. She saw her own face in his memories, absentmindedly recalling his feelings during their first kiss. She felt his desire, his aching love for her, and the fright that she might find out about his past and hate him for it. Then she saw the old warehouse at the edge of the town. She saw the shadowy figure of Magneto, felt Gambit's apprehension. She glimpsed Sabertooth, his large hand shooting out of the darkness. She felt his punch deep inside her brain. Pain shot throughout her body like a white-hot bolt of lightening. 

Rogue moaned as she wrenched her hand away from Gambit. She was weak and trembling to the point where she almost thought she would pass out. Panting, she pulled her glove back on and glanced at Gambit. He was still asleep, tranquil and undisturbed like before.

"I won't let him get away, Remy," she murmured, stepping away from the bedside. She placed her hands over her eyes and concentrated hard on Mystic's power. She felt the shape-shifting power merged to the surface and immediately pictured the fast, silver-headed Pietro. 

_I want to be Pietro._

She felt her body shift and when she opened her eyes she saw Pietro's hands, his uniform, felt his speed coursing through her body. She didn't waste anytime. Faster than the speed out sound, she ran out of the Institute. She knew where that warehouse was. She hoped that Sabertooth would still be there and that she made it before Logan showed up.

            The old warehouse stood at the edge of town, lonely in the surrounding shadows. Rogue stopped it front of it and quickly morphed into herself. It was silent out too and the long rode was empty. No sign of the others. Frowning, she walked up to it, easily finding and opening the garage door with the help of Gambit's memories.

            Inside, she saw his red and black bike. But she pressed on until she entered the main part of the warehouse. Shadows were everywhere and that made it easy for Rogue to stay hidden until she saw Sabertooth or Magneto. As quietly as she could, she walked along in the darkness, staying close to the wall. Around the corner of a huge pile of boxes, Rogue peeked passed them and found Sabertooth. At the sight of him, her poisonous anger quickly swelling up in her body like a balloon.

            He was frowning and growling loudly as he sloshed the floor with a dirty mop. Rogue looked closer and saw that the ground, as well as Sabertooth himself, was covered in dark red blood. Remy's blood. 

            "You're all mine now, you fucking bastard!" she yelled, jumping out of the darkness, and immediately blasted Sabertooth with raw laser vision.

            The larger mutant didn't have time to protect himself. Roaring angrily, he was shot off his feet by the mere force of the searing beams and flew through the air until he smashed into several large boxes. Rogue continued to blast, stepping closer and closer. Sabertooth was pinned between the boxes and the beams, unable to get free of such extreme energy as she poured all she had into it.

            "Don't like to be caught off guard to ya?" she asked. "Don't like being attacked without warning."

            Sabertooth growled and finally summoned enough strength to jumped away from the laser beams. Badly burnt, he quickly climbed up the boxes and made his way to the rafters. Rogue saw him pull at one, easily tearing it free from the roof, before hurling it down at her. She conjured up Kitty's powers and the metal rafter phased right through her body.

            "You're gonna have to try more than that to take me down!" she told him, levitating high into the air as she recalled Jean's telekinesis, her hair fluttering against her face. "Don't forget that I have everyone's power! Everyone's ability! You don't stand a chance in hell against me, Sabertooth!"

            From the darkness, she heard his throaty chuckle. "I'm so scared. You here to defend your worthless boyfriend? How romantic." From the shadows, another beam was thrown towards her as well as several boxes. She worked quickly to blast a wind strong enough to knock them away before they hit her. "Tell me something. Is he dead yet?"

            "I won't let you get away with what you did!" she retorted, now using Jean's mind powers to locate him in the dimness. When she did she held him there. Sabertooth growled angrily as he struggled against her grip as she flew towards him, as fast as a missile. Mustering up Blob's strength as well as Mystic's agility, she hurled her fist into the side of his face, breaking his solid jaw.

            Sabertooth howled in pain as his head snapped back from the blow. Rogue pulled back and viciously kicked him in the stomach. She spun around in the air and kicked him once more in the face. Then she released her hold on him and he plunged to the ground. He was quick enough to fall on his hands and feet like a cat but he couldn't dodge the sharp wooden spiked that poured down like rain afterwards. Several pierced his skin as they darted by while a couple sliced into his back, sticking deep into his skin and drawing blood. His roar of pain resonated throughout the empty warehouse. 

Rogue was ready to summon Scott's laser beams again when suddenly a wall of fire was in front off her, cutting her off from Sabertooth. She screamed her frustration. Too close to the intense heat, Rogue was blinded by the light and didn't see Logan hurling through the air to grab her. When he did, she lost focus and they both fell to the ground. She landed on him and before she could get away, his hands were holding her arms.

"Let me go!" she cried, struggling to get out of Logan's grasp. "Let me go!"

"No way," he replied, tightening his hold. "What the hell were you doing?"

"I was gonna kill him! He deserves to die!"

A look of faint disbelief passed through his face. "Get a hold of yourself, Stripes," he told her. "This ain't like you!"

Rogue froze, his words running deep into her brain. She had lost control just like Gambit had before, lost control and let all her emotions dominate her, making her mindless to anything else. 

"Oh, god," she hissed, closing her eyes. She felt all her strength rush out of her like water, leaving her tremendously exhausted. "God, I wasn't thinking…" She felt sick to her stomach. "I need to sit down."

Logan helped her to the ground. There she pulled her knees up to her chest, trembling as the tears came. "I didn't mean to lose control," she told him. "I just wanted him to pay. I think I'm gonna faint. I feel so weak. So tired. Help me, Logan." 

He caught her before she hit the ground.

"Is she all right?" Ororo was suddenly at his side, looking down at Rogue's pale face. 

"Don't know," he muttered, turning around to place the girl in Ororo's arms. "Take her back to the Institute, will ya? We'll deal with Sabertooth and Magneto."

 Ororo nodded and quickly left.       

~*~*~*~

Rogue felt incredibly weak when she stirred from her heavy sleep. 

"Hey, mate, I think she's coming 'round!" a hushed whisper murmured.

She opened her eyes and drowsily looked up. At first she could only see blurry shapes but once her vision cleared she saw the bright orange hair and the quirky smile.

"John?"

He nodded. "How ya feelin'?"

"Where am I?"

"The institute."

Her mind was so groggy as she tried to piece together what happened. But she could hardly think straight. "What happened?"

John looked shocked. "You don't remember? You went after Sabertooth. Beat him pretty senseless when Logan, Piotr and I got there. You fainted, remember?"

"Barely." Rogue frowned and struggled to sit up. She saw that she was lying on an extra bed close to Gambit. Piotr was close by, a look of melancholy fatigue on his face. "How long have been out?"

"Only about an hour."

"Is Sabertooth dead?"

"Nah just a little insulted that a girl beat him up so badly," John replied. "Man, you can hold your own in battle! Remind me never to get you angry, okay?"

"Sure. Where's Logan?"

"Think he's havin' a nice little chat with Xavier, mate"

Rogue groaned. "I'm gonna be so in much trouble!" she said, burying her face in her hands. 

"Don't worry 'bout it, all right?" John muttered. "You did what John and Piotr would have done in any case."

"What happened after I fainted, John? Is it over?"

Piotr gave a nod from where he stood and murmured, "We free men now."

"That's great," she told him, forcing a weak smile. "How did you guys to it?"

"Magneto showed up after you passed out. Piotr and me confronted him, threatened to leak some info to the press if he tried to spill about our…circumstances."

"You _blackmailed _him?"  

"We learned from the best. Then we told Sabertooth to watch his back," John continued. "Would have liked to fight him then and there but Logan said that it wasn't a good idea. You whipped Sabertooth pretty good already, mate."

Rogue sighed and looked over at Gambit. "Has anything changed with Remy?" she asked.

John shrugged. "Big blue guy said that if he makes it to tomorrow night, he should be fine."

Rogue sighed and murmured, "I hope so."

"He will, Rogue. Do not worry."

"Thanks, Piotr. What are you guys going to do now?"

"Xavier offered to put us up for the night and however long we want since we can't go back home," John said. "He's a nice guy, that Xavier. Bloody shame we were his enemy for so long."

"John and I have been thinking about joining the x-men," Piotr told her. 

Rogue smiled, genuinely thrilled despite her fatigue, and said, "I hope you do."

"But before I do," he continued softly. "I need to go back to Russia and take care of some things."

"Of course. Are you going back to Australia?"

John shook his head. "And see a family that despises me because I'm a mutant? Fat chance, mate."

"What? Your family hates you? Why did you protect them from Magneto then?"

John smiled and said, "They are my family. Are you going to stay down here for the rest of the night?" 

"Yeah. Don't feel right leavin' him alone down here."

John sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a quick, friendly hug. "Try to get some sleep, okay, mate? You look like you really need it. Gambit's a strong guy. He'll make it."

"Thanks, John."

"No problem." With that, he and Piotr walked out of the lab.

When they were gone, Rogue sighed and turned her attention back to Gambit. She was close enough to reach out and clasp his hand in hers.

"Did you hear that, Remy?" she asked him, her voice trembling. "John and Piotr know that you will be okay. You wanna disappoint them by dyin'? You can do whatever the hell you want now. You're free. Just don't die on me, okay?"

~*~*~*~

Gambit had no idea where he was when he woke up. All he knew was that his body ached something fierce and that the beeping in the air caused his head to throb. He wondered how he ever managed to sleep at all! He felt something wrapped around his hand. It was warm and gentle. He wanted to know who it was. Someone touched his face gently, leaned close to him, and he could smell a sweet fragrance of shampoo lingering in the still air.

"Gambit?"

He knew that voice. It was beautiful, deep, and full of the South. That brought make memories that made him smile even though the aches in his body were damn annoying.

Slowly Gambit managed to open his eyes. "Rogue?" he asked. His voice sounded hoarse and unused to him. 

Blurry shapes and fuzzy outlines were all he could see. He blinked and soon his vision sharpened until he could see her pale face looking down at him. Rogue was smiling sweetly and tenderly and there were tears in her green eyes. She looked pale and thin but happy too see him.

"What a face to wake up to," he murmured, cracking a weak smile.

"Hey, there," she whispered softly, tightening her hold on his hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," he murmured drowsily. "Where am I?"

"The med-lab at the institute."

Gambit frowned, his mind still sleepy. "How long have I been out?"

"You were in a coma for about two weeks, Remy."

That shocked him. "Two weeks. Damn!"

"You were beat up pretty badly," Rogue told him, her green eyes glazing over with pain. "I thought that you might not make it."

"Don't cry, _chere_," Gambit urged when he saw some tears start to fall. "I'm okay now. Just feels like I was ran over by a train a couple of times. That's all." Seeing her distress, he opened his arms. "Get over here, _petite_. Three weeks is too damn long to stay away from you."

Sniffing, she stood up and gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down closer until she was resting on her side, snuggled comfortably next to him. He felt the tension in her body evaporate immediately.

"You'll get better," she murmured firmly, leaving no room for argument or doubt, her hands resting on his chest. "You'll be okay now. I was so worried about you, Remy. We all were. The professor even looked into your mind and saw what happened to you."

"Really? Sounds a bit creepy," he muttered, to distracted with Rogue in his arms. "Did anyone go after Sabertooth or Magneto?"

Rogue nodded. "I did."

"_Chere_…"

"Don't worry. I wasn't hurt."

"What about John and Piotr?"

"John, Piotr, and you are all free from Magneto now," Rogue told him. "They found him the night you were attack and blackmail Magneto to let you guys go. They have been staying here all along and they really want to join the x-men but decided to wait until you woke up. Piotr just got back from Russia, too."

Gambit was amazed. "So much has happened, _chère_. What else did I miss?"

Rogue offered a small smile. "One time while you were still out, you accidentally charged the machines. They almost blew up before you calmed down. Made Beast half crazy."

Running his fingers gently down her back, Gambit chuckled softly. "Sorry about that, _chère."_

"Don't worry, Remy. I lost control a couple of times, too," she murmured softly. "I had to take lessons form Ororo to control some of my stronger emotions so I didn't make it storm or blow anything up."

"Really? Which one are those?" he teased.

"Anger and sadness," she replied.

"You don't have to sad anymore, _petite_. I'm right here and I'm gonna get better," Gambit told her.

Struggling to keep the tears at bay in her beautiful tears, Rogue slowly leaned forward and placed a warm, heartfelt kiss on the tip of his chin. "God, you put me through hell, Remy. If I wasn't so in love with you, I'd _so_ kick your goddamn ass."

She moved away and settled against him again. But Gambit was still reeling from the kiss.

"Um, _chère?"_

"Yeah?"

"You just kissed me."

Her smile was sheepish, a blushing tainting her wan cheeks. "Yeah."

He was lost. "Skin on skin."

"I've also been taking lessons to control my power," she confessed, her smile widening. "Give me your hand."

Wanting to see where this led, Gambit held up his hand. Rogue smiled when she held up her own hand, small and naked, and pressed her palm against his. Her skin felt warm and soft. Smiling, Gambit entwined their fingers and brought them close to his lips, kissing them.

"Looks like it's a perfect fit to me, _chère_."

Rogue shared his smile and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "That's what you get," she whispered softly, laughing, "when you get a goth girl from Mississippi and the Cajun swamp rat walking around in the rain."

♥ The End ♥

**Author's note: Ah, the cheesy romance is killing me!!! **** **dies** BTW I lied. This isn't the last chapter! Hee hee. Epilogues are a great thing! ^___^ Sorry for the slow update. I've been so busy with homework and such. Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter and the story! Watch out for the epilogue! **


	12. Epilogue: A Meeting of New Beginnings or...

In the Rain by Yui 

**Author's note: That has been one of my best stories and I'm so happy and delighted that so many of you read and liked what you read. ^__^ I want to thank all you because without your comments I wouldn't have finished this story! I love you guys! **mucho hugs are exchanged** **

BTW, this chapter is complete and utter fluff. There's no point but to entertain you peeps with humor and Romy since I know your nerves need it after 'In the Rain'. But it also serves as a starting ground for a planed **SEQUAL**! Sequel, I say? Yup! Road trip, anyone? 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the x-men. They belong to Marvel. ^_^ I don't own Mr. Bean. He belongs to the BBC. God bless creative jenius ^_^

~*~*~*~

Epilogue 

A meeting of Beginnings (a.k.a. Mayhem at the Mansion!)

          The end of February for told of an early spring. But while the sun was still sleeping and the dark of night was still out, the premature mornings were still chilly. Three young men were standing in the front lawn of the shadowy Xavier Institute at the break of a rosy dawn, sourly looking at the somnolent mansion and resentfully thinking mornings should be spent in the sanctuary of a toasty bed. But no instead of sleeping like every other normal person would have been they were reluctantly awake, shivering under their insubstantial uniforms, and rigorously furious.

          "This is bullshit!" John complained ardently for the umpteenth time as he shuddered from the bone-chilling bite in the frosty air. "Can someone tell me why I joined the x-men again because I can't think of one goddamn reason at the moment."

          John was so tired of being cold and, well, tired. He had to get up so early that morning that he didn't even have time to tame his wild fiery locks. His hair, a mass of spiky toxic-orange hair, was sticking up everywhere. But it was too early to give a damn about appearances. And smirking, John thought that neither did Remy. The sleepy Cajun was either oblivious or apathetic to the fetching little love-bite that donned the side of his neck. If he cared, he should have taken the means to covering it up to avoid the inevitable questions that could arise. But he didn't so John didn't say anything.

          "Sorry, mon ami," Remy replied the best he could through chattering teeth. "Too cold to think to give you a proper answer." Since his trench coat was not part of the standard trainee uniform he had to go without the familiar sensation of the warm, worn leather covering his body. Not only was he cold but also feeling very exposed. 

          "It is not that bad," Piotr calmly stated. The two other boys turned and glared daggers at him. Even though Piotr he had grown up in freezing weather so he was use to the icy breeze and the solid ground covered in a thin sheet of ice underneath his feet, he had sneaked small heating packets into his uniform to keep him warm so he was quite toasty. The other two former acolytes didn't know that though and Piotr didn't felt like giving up his little secret. 

          "Shudup, metal man!" John hissed. "Unlike you I didn't live in ice. Us Aussies are fragile, hot-blooded creatures. I didn't even know what the fuck snow was until I got up here!"

          "John, why don't you just make a fire to warm yourself?" Piotr asked, not the one share or give any secrets.

          John frowned and replied, "Because I **don't make fire and even if I did my fingers are too damn cold to start one!"**

The stalwart Russian was unsympathetic to his friend's plight. "Baby."

          "Loser."

          Remy sighed, too tired to join the batter and too numb to put a stop to it. But he was bitter enough to complain. He did, after all, have to wake up at five with his girlfriend sleeping like an angel right next to him without any time to fool around before he had to run off to train. That made his foul mood all the prominent.

          "Were the fuck is Logan?" he seethed, rubbing his hands together to regain some feeling. "He expects us to get up to wait outside for his ass? I don't think so. If he doesn't show up soon I'm ditching the damn training and going back to sleep."

          "Me too. We do we need to train with a guy like him anyway?" John continued. "Xavier bloody knows how good we are. We're training in the fucking Danger Room. If Logan shows up, I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna take the fucking ice under my feet and shove it up his nose."

          "He's dead meat," Remy simply concurred. He would have been glad to give a detailed description on where and exactly how but it was too cold to form words. All he knew what that Logan's death was going to be very painful and very bloody. That lifted his low spirits some. Mwhahaha, indeed. 

          "He's not that bad." 

Again the two other boys turned and glared incredulously. Piotr sighed and shook his head. 

          "He's a raving lunatic! Fucking nuts in the bloody head, you half-witted bloke!" John exclaimed. 

          "Kitty says he just a big teddy bear," Remy commented with an obvious shudder. "The boogie man is a fucking teddy bear compared to Logan."

          Piotr ignored his friends' banter and rolled his eyes. "Logan is not crazy," he told them in his exasperatingly judicious voice. "He's just…er…passionate about his occupation."

          John scoffed loudly. "Yeah! Bloody passionate about tormenting us!"

          "But I admit that I do not like the fact of getting up so early," the Russian told them as if it was a grave sin. There was a slight grimace marring his stoic face. "I would have preferred to sleep in on a Saturday morning."

          Remy would have cracked a smile but that would have hurt in frozen lips. "Piotr is human after all," he teased, patting the Russian's massive shoulder.

          John whimpered, concealing his face behind his hands. "I need coffee."

          "I need a cigarette."

          A pair of heated cinnamon eyes snapped towards Remy, gaping at him with the utmost surprise. "You smoke, mate?!"

          "Only when I have to get up really early." Remy sighed, wishing with all his might that this all was a twisted dream, that he was in his nice, warm bed with his arms still wrapped around Rogue. But when the icy wind began to howl in his ear, he shuddering, knowing that this was reality. "This morning's gonna suck."

          "Morning? Fuck that. It's still night. The sun ain't even out," John pouted.

          "Actually…"

          John was at his breaking point and was in no mood for a smart-ass Russian. "Shudup, Piotr!"

          Snickering to himself, Piotr stopped talking and continued to sleep with his eyes open. Remy glowered, feeling his legs lose feeling. He shook them, kicking the frail layer of ice under his shoes, and waited for Logan to show up. John it seemed was too tired to say anything else and just stood there, his lips wordless forming angry rants as he seethed. Remy could see him say 'I hate this. I hate this. I hate this…' over and over Silence returned as the group waited for the hell to begin. Logan's infamous training sessions were known to be grueling and pure evil.

          "Man, I can't take it anymore!" John suddenly exclaimed after several long minutes. "I'm leaving this shit. To hell with Logan and to hell with training!" Infuriated, he started to march away. 

          "Just where do you think you're going, Orange?" a low grunt asked from behind the trio of boys. Without looking, Remy knew that it was Logan and he had to stop his thief reflexes from making him take out a card and throw it over his shoulder. He really didn't like it when people sneaked up behind him.

          John turned around and glared at Logan. "Glad your finally came to grace us with your ominous presence, Wolvie, but your five seconds too late. My brain all ready fucking check out." He made to leave but a growl from Logan made his stop.

          "Get back here, Orange."

          Seething with anger at his almost breached freedom, John walked back to the group, shooting Logan a withering look that could have had Scott in tears. Piotr and Remy too turned around and regarded their stormy instructor. Logan was dressed in his dark blue uniform with the x-men regalia on it and appeared as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as he would ever be. 

Weirdo probably got his kicks by putting his students through hell, Remy mused with a shudder. 

          Too sleepy and mad to be civil, none of the boys greeted Logan but started to complain immediately.

          "This is fucking pointless! Why are we even training with you? Xavier knows how good we are!" John argued adamantly.

          Logan's right eyebrow quivered. Unlike the rest of the adults he was cool enough to let the kids use questionable language in his presence. However, that was the only good quality about the surly 5"7' mutant. "Good enough to take Magneto on by yourself?" he questioned.

          John glowered. "You wouldn't be surprised."

          Logan shrugged. "Whatever, Orange. Now, kiddies," he said, "you are going to a drill on the grounds with all the test dummies on full."

          Remy rolled his eyes, muttering "Easy." If he was quick enough he could disengage most of the equipment while Piotr blocked him.

           Logan's hard brown eyes snapped towards the presumptuous Cajun. "And you will be by yourselves," he announced, knowing full well that Remy's brain had already devised a plan.

          Shock ran like a wave throughout the group. (a/n: do to you get it? Shockwave? No?…Okay I thought it was funny. Onward with the fic!)

          "The hell?!"

          "You must be kidding."

          "Que?"

          Logan's face remained impassive but Remy could see him grinning on the inside, loving to be the bearer of badness. Sick, bastard, he thought.

          "Xavier knows that you three are unbeatable as a team," he told them. "You knows each others strengths and weaknesses. But he wants to see how you perform solo."

          Remy raised a hand. Logan turned and, unlike a good teacher who would ask 'what is it', glared at him as if daring Remy to be the cocky smart-ass and say the cocky smart-ass remark his brain already formed.

          "What do you want, Gumbo?" 

          "What does training solo have to do with being outside in the cold?" he asked.

          "Believe it or not, a confrontation can break out any time and any where, kid," he replied.

          "Why don't we train one at a time in the Danger Room? You can change the settings."

          Logan scowled at him and Remy quickly shut up. Right, he thought. Where was the fun in that?

          John was next to raise his hand. "Oh, call on me, call on me!!!!"

          Logan glared at him too. "What?"

Pretending to be a shy first-grader, John fidgeted as he asked, "So...um…like…how long will...this training take, teacher?"

          Logan was far from amused. "Until you get to the finish line."

          "How long will that be?"

          "If you don't get manned, die, pass out from exhaustion or, in your case, Orange, if your hair doesn't get snagged in the trees," Logan shrugged and it was John's turn to glare, "maybe around noon."

          "NOON?!"

          He nodded. "Yup."

          "What about food?" Piotr asked.

          "What about my COFFEE?!"

          "There some berries in there if you get hungry. You guys know which ones are poisonous?"

          The boys shook their heads.

          Logan sighed. "Too bad. Then I suggest that you get started." He pointed to the dark woods. "There's a path along with clues on what you will be fighting at each marked location. Try and follow it. Don't even try to team up. This is complete solo work." Seeing their bewildered expressions, Logan nodded his head and walked away.

          "Wait one damn minute! Are you leaving us?"

          "You wish, Orange," he remarked. "I'll be waiting at the finish line. Just try to cheat. I dare you." 

          "Finish line? Where's that?"

          "Read the clues on the signs, Gumbo."

          "We could get lost in there!" John cried, nearly frantic.

          Logan shrugged. "If you don't show up in a week, I'll send a search party to look for you, kid."

          When he was gone, the trio stood there, staring at the dark, misty woods with the greatest dismay and suspicious.

          "It's dark," John whispered, his eyes big as saucers. "I don't wanna go in there."

          "Mon dieu, it gives me the creeps."

          "I was wrong. Logan's psycho."

"He's gonna pay," John promised, an evil gleam to his bright eyes as he stretched his fingers that ached to reach back and start the heavy-duty flame throwers on his back.

          "I agree," Remy replied, absentmindedly charging the air around his hand.

          With a firm nod, Piotr's hands turned metal and his popped his knuckles menacingly. But nothing happened. For five minutes, they boys continued to stand there, looking at the drab thicket, seething with anger and dread.

          "Why do I feel like I'll never see you guys again?" John cried, pretending to cry. 

          Remy shrugged the psychotic pyromaniac off his arm as John vaulted himself onto Remy, hugging him breathless. "Get off of me, Orange." He laughed, using Logan's nickname. 

          "You totally ruined our Kodak moment, you bastard!" John complained. "Hey, why does Logan have nicknames for everyone here?"

          Remy shrugged. "He doesn't have one for Piotr."

          John frowned and looked around, not seeing the giant Russian anywhere in sight. Squinting, he barely saw Piotr through the heavy mist as he strolled into the forest. John gave an indignant gasp. Remy saw Piotr too but smirked, highly amused.

          "He's not wasting anytime."

          "Fucking traitor," John hissed. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled, "Where the hell do you think your going, Commie?!"

          Piotr just kept walking but called over his shoulder, "You're wasting time, John." With that, the darkness of the trees swallowed him up.

          John gulped. "I ain't going there."

          Remy sighed and started down the path. "Suit yourself."

          "You're leaving me?!" John squeaked, lunging himself at the other former Acolyte once more. 

          Remy stared at him deadpan. "Oui."

          John frowned and let him go looking greatly offended. "Fine. Just go."

          "Whatever," he laughed, continuing towards the inauspicious shadows of the grove. "See ya at the finish line, mon ami. Good luck." 

~*~*~*~

          Rogue sighed in her sleep, stretching lazily, as she woke up. Rubbing the sleep from her heavy eyes, she sat up in the bed and looked around. Unfortunately she discovered that she was alone in Remy's room. Pouting, she collapsed back on the pliant mattress, burying her nose in his pillow and shutting her eyes against the glare of the morning sun. Even though his side was cold, the pillow still smelled on his warm scent and that satisfied her. 

          After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock. It read 10:47 in the morning. She knew that Remy had a drill early that day but she was surprised that it was still going. Knowing Logan, he probably would have liked to keep the Acolytes busy until nightfall if he had his way. Feeling nothing but pity for her luckless boyfriend, she slid out of his bed, adjusting her borrowed nightshirt, and ambled towards the large bay window. 

As she walked to tried not to trip on the piles of books littering the floor. Since she was taking lessons to control her power, their relationship had progressed rather nicely after Remy had recovered from his assault. The two of them had been up late last night trying to get Remy caught up with all his homework since he missed almost a month from school. When they finally called it quits, it was around two in the morning so they both passed out on his bed and fell asleep since Remy didn't share a room with anyone.

Whose smart idea was that, she wondered.

The three former Acolytes had been at the Institute for a little more than a month and were getting along nicely with the other students and training as well. Piotr had made connections with Ororo and Hank and generally spent time alone in Ororo's sweltering greenhouse, quietly tending to the green plants when older instructor was busy with something else. John occasionally flipped about the 'no bad language' rule and spent most nights making up for his unruly conduct by cleaning the bathrooms while still honing a crush on Kitty. Remy often got into fights over the coveted role of leadership with Scott when they all trained in the Danger Room together. The younger male mutants thought Remy was so much cooler than Scott and forked over their loyalty over to him almost immediately. The younger girls were completely smitten by Remy's good looks and easy drawl. They would follow him in just about anything. Obviously Scott wasn't very happy about that. 

At the window, Rogue parted the curtains and winced from the brightness of the day. Since she knew the drill would be outside, she looked down on the lawn to see if she could see her boyfriend or Piotr or John. Instead she saw the forest in the back of the mansion looking none to well. Some parts were smoky with a smoldering fire, some trees had been pulled out of the ground and tossed aside like toothpicks, while some looked like the had had a stick of dynamic blow them up. 

Rogue laughed to herself at the destruction, recalling their outrage at the early conditioning and they were no doubt causing as much trouble for Logan as they possibly could. She didn't feel bad for Logan. He made the mistake of forcing the boys to do something they didn't. Remembering the story of Sabertooth and his adventures with the Acolytes' antics, she smiled and went to find her clothes. 

~*~*~*~

"I fucking hate this!" Sweaty and aching in parts that he hadn't even known existed, John carelessly let his ferocious fire creations run wild throughout the trees as he limped through forest. He was too exhausted the made sense of any of the clue anymore and too worn out to care that he was quickly losing himself in the endless stretched of untamed woodland. He judged whether or not to sit down and just die. But he wanted to get to the finish line so he could get his hands on Logan.

"Fucking bastard," John wheezed, idly blasting away at a poor tree to ease his restlessness. "He's so dead."

~*~*~*~

Piotr was lost. Through he had pounded his way through numerous machines that shoot lasers at him and reread all the senseless clues, it felt like he was walking in one large never-ending circle. Overhead, the sun was up and warmly glaring down at him, making him uncomfortably hot in his metal body.

"This is pointless," Piotr muttered to himself, knocking over a tree as he walked along the path. "Not even Einstein himself could figure out a way to get about of this place." 

~*~*~*~

Siting on a top branch, high above the ground, Remy sighed again and charged another leaf and let it fly. It exploded in the air but the violent eruption didn't even help ease his boredom. He pouted, chin cupped in his hands as his arms were braced on his knees. His long legs swung in the air idly.

He had fought the machines, lived to read the clues, analyzing them like a good thief. He followed the best he could but eventually ended up where he first started. That's when he looked at the clues again and found the ended message within the hints.

Clue #1: keep your eyes on the path

Clue #2: It's important to know where you're going

Clue #3: Training is the only way to get better

Clue #4: Cheating will get you nowhere

Clue #5: Heed the clues

Clue #6: Else face defeat

Clue #7: Now your back at the beginning. Try again.

Luckily he had written them all down. Looking over the clues he took the first letters on the sentences and had found where the finish line was. The kitchen. Now if only he could find he way out of the labyrinth he'd find Logan sitting in the warm, bright kitchen in the institute and kick his ass. Remy was just passing time until he recuperated enough to get back to finding his way out of the forest.

He looked down when he heard heavy footfalls down on the ground. Before long an exhausted, tattered John appeared through the underbrush and walked passed Remy's tree. Smirking, Remy quickly charged a twig and threw it down on his unsuspecting friend.

BOOM!

John cried out in surprise, jumped backwards as the shoot erupted close to his head. He looked up, glaring as he saw Remy in the branches.

"Goddamn it!" he shouted. "Don't fucking do that, Remy!"

Remy laughed and jumped down to land next to John. "Sorry. I take it you're lost too, mon ami?"

He glared. "Hell yes."

Remy patted his shoulder, offering condolences. Just then Piotr came into the small clearing looking just as beat.

"Hello. I heard a boom and knew that you were close by, Remy," he said. "It's good to see that we are all still alive."

"Barely," John muttered, flopping down on the ground. "I'm an inch close from dying. I'm starving, thirsty, and so fucking tired. Does anyone else feel that this is just some bullshit?"

"I do," Piotr sighed, leaning against a tree to give is feet some relief. "Any of you figure out the clues?"

John rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Too early to read."

"That's helpful," the Russian teased. 

Remy held up the piece of paper that he'd written all the ambiguous hints on. "I did. The fucking finish line is in the kitchen. To bad we have no clue were we are at the moment."

          Piotr and John stared at him, dumb with amazement. 

          "I'm a thief, guys. Remember?"

          The shock passed quickly. "Right, mate," John muttered. "Forgot your use to this kinda bullshit. Solving things and everything."

          Piotr stood up. "Do you wish to team up?" he asked.

          "And break the rules of the game?!" John forged genuine outrage. "Never!"

          Remy rolled his eyes and grabbed him by his neck, pulling him to his feet. "Come on, guys. The quicker we pull together and find the institute, the sooner we get to make Logan pay for this shit. Piotr, do you have anyway of know where the Institute be?"

          The Russian shrugged and looked up at the sky. The clearing was wide enough to see the position on the sun. "I think so. Follow me."

~*~*~*~

          More awake after her shower, Rogue sauntered down to the kitchen for some breakfast. Since it was Saturday and the students usually got up at their own leisure, the early meal was a serve-yourself kind of deal at the Institute. She didn't expect to see Logan down there so she was really surprised to see him at the kitchen table reading the newspaper with a mug of teeming coca before him. Wasn't he supposed to be supervising the drill that morning?

          "Mornin'" he grunted, seeing Rogue in the doorway over the top of his paper.

          "Er…" as Rogue's intelligent greeting. "Didn't you have a drill today?"

          "Yup."

          "Is it over?"

          "No."

          "No?" she echoed as she took a set at the table, reaching for a bagel from the platter of donuts and other tasty morning delights that Ororo had no doubt set out for the cooking-impaired students. "What are you doing in here then?"

"Waiting for the twerps to show up," he grunted, focusing on his paper again.

          "How do you know they're not hurt? They've been out these since 6:00."

          Logan shrugged, not really caring. "Haven't smell blood yet, Stripes."

          Rogue sighed and idly gnawed on her blueberry bagel. Her stomach was twisted up with nervous knots that she doubted she could finish the thing. She didn't like the thought of her boyfriend dead or dying out in the forest. Sighing, she turned her eyes to the window and smiled, her nerves instantly dwindling. The three former acolytes were quickly making their was towards the institute, looking far from happy.

          She turned back to Logan. "I think you will pretty soon." She stood up and waited by the counter where she knew it would be safe.

          He looked at her, his eyebrow arching up at her grin. It was then that the back door of the kitchen flew open and three very angry mutants stepped inside. Logan smirked and turned around.

          "Glad you could finally join me," he said.

          Remy glowered. "This was never a drill."

          Logan shook his head. "Call it payback for hijacking the X-Jet to buy some donuts the night before."

          "You found out?!" John squeaked as Remy and Piotr just smirked, recalling that memory with the utmost fondness.

          Logan glared at them. "You bet, bub."

          The happy memory gone, the trio glared at Logan too. Quick as lightening, a card dropped to Remy's ready palm from his sleeve. He charged it and tossed it across the room where it landed conveniently in Logan's cup of coca. Logan didn't have time to react when the mug exploded, raining hot liquid down upon him. 

          "Time for our payback now, mon ami," Remy said from the door, a devilish smirk on his face.

          Dripping the sweet liquid, Logan growled ominously at all three of them, deadly claws shooting up from the backs on his hands. Piotr changed himself to metal and quickly got a hold on the instructor even though Logan struggled vehemently to free himself, snarling and snapping like a caged animal. Then Piotr headed outside. John cackled as he followed.

          When they we gone, Rogue smiled at Remy who was still standing in the doorway. Even though he looked like he could use a good shower, it was safe to say that she felt like drooling. The close-fitting uniform and the morning stubble fringing his jaw did wonders.

          "Hello, petite," he said, grinning.

          Rogue moved away from the counter and walked over to him. "What are you going to do with him?" she asked, looking through the door to see John and Piotr enter the forest with the struggling Logan.

          "Nothing too harmful," he replied. "Bastard put us through hell. Deserves something in return."

          "Poor baby," she cooed, patting his cheek comfortingly. Remy leaned into her hand, kissing the naked palm. 

          "Indeed, chere. Remy will need a lot of babying after this," he muttered darkly. Then he moved closer to her and kissed her quickly. "Gotta go. Can't let John and Piotr have all the fun."  

~*~*~*~

          Rogue was up in her room when there was a polite knock on her door around noon. 

          "It's open!" she called out form her bed. She had been doodling, enjoying the silence since Kitty was gone. The door opened and Remy poked his head in and smiled at her. She smiled back and quickly put her sketches away.

          "I was wandering when you'd come back," she told him. "What did you do with Logan?"

          He shrugged, walking into the room. Rogue could see that he had just finished a shower. He was no longer wearing the trainee uniform but a pair of jeans and sweatshirt to ward of the lingering chill in the air. "It's a secret."

          "Should I be worried?"

          "It's all good fun," he replied, smirking.

          She sighed and held up his beloved trench coat. "C'mere," she purred, smiling. "I need to baby you."

          He smiled, hurrying over to tumble onto the bed and into his trench coat and Rogue's arms. "Oh, you're so good to Remy, chere," he sighed, snuggling against his girlfriend as they both laid on the mattress.

          She laughed, holding Remy close and stroking his hair. "I know," she sighed. "You better not forgot that, Swamp rat."

          "Never," he promised, nuzzling her neck with his warm lips. She sighed again in pleasure, wrapping her arms tightly around his broad back.

          Rogue would have loved to continue that but a loud crash followed by an insane cackle from outside in the hallway had them both staring at the door. That was when Kitty phased in, looking a little panicky. When she saw them on the bed together, she gasped, her blue eyes growing unbelievably wide.

          "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, blushing as she covered her eyes with her hands. "I totally do want or, like, mean to see this!"

          Rogue glared at her roommate as both she and Remy sat up, the mood obviously destroyed without the hopes of restoration. "That's why you should knock before you enter a room, Kitty," Rogue enlightened the younger girl.

          "It was a total accident," Kitty admitted. "If I hadn't, Bobby would have…"

          Another creepy laugh was heard as well as many whoops of glee. Remy cocked a brow. "What's John up too, Kitty?"

          Kitty frowned, anger flaring up in her eyes. "He, like, got Bobby to form an ice slide down the hallway to the steps and out the front door," she said. "Now John, Evan, Bobby, and Kurt are playing on it. Bobby almost, like, knocked me down in the hallway. That's why I, like, phased in here. It total mayhem out there!"

          "Where are the adults?" Remy asked.

          "Well obviously Logan's MIA," Rogue told him, poking him in the ribs. "Hank is cooped up in the lab, Ororo's in her greenhouse. The professor probably won't know what's going on until Jean and Scott spill." She stood up. "Come on. I wanna see this!"

          They walked to the door and opened it just as John was riding the ice on his snowboard, cackling insanely. Evan was right behind him on his skateboard. Kurt was last, sliding down the ice on his stomach. He waved to the trio at the door before sliding further down the hallway, laughing with delight.

          "They're gonna hurt something," Remy sighed.

          "Yeah. Try, like, the mansion!"

          It was then that they saw Sam, Ray, Jamie, and Amara slide pass them as well at neck breaking speeds. Rogue frowned and slapped her hand to her forehead. "Is stupidity contagious or something?" she mused a loud.

          "They are gonna, like, get into so much trouble!" Kitty exclaimed. 

          "Why don't you just hang out in the Rec room and forget this is happening?" Rogue suggested, eager to get back to her alone time with Remy.

          "No way!" Kitty said. "I could, like, trip and I would never ever, like, slide down that thing. I might, like, totally ruin my clothes!"

          "Pity," Rogue said. Since she was still a little irritated with the girt, she didn't fell remorseful at all when she pushed Kitty onto the ice. "Because you're going down anyway! Bye!"

          "ROGUE!" Kitty's screamed was a mix of shock and anger as she slipped down the icy runway on her bum all the way outside. Snickering and feeling quiet evil, Rogue pulled Remy inside the room and slammed the door shut.

~*~*~*~

          By two o'clock not only was the woods in the back of the mansion is sad condition but also the front yard. Scott had found out about the notorious ice slide and, in the end, had made the dire mistake of insulting the hotheaded John. All hell broke loose after that. Ororo had put a stop to the mini-war by forming a rain cloud over the yard and soaking at the students to the bone. She asked what had started this but the mutants just shrugged, saying that they where just having some fun. Scott had conveniently disappeared from the battlefront and by John's snide laughter, only he knew to where. The students headed back inside under Ororo's stern watch to dry off. 

          By three Jean was also reported missing and Ororo gave up. Retreating to her to the quiet solace of her greenhouse, she sought some much-needed peace. Let Xavier handle those kids, she thought to herself.

          By four there was still no show from Xavier so the kids ran wild. Remy and Rogue finally emerged from her room to find the mansion is complete mayhem. But, being young themselves, the couple didn't feel like putting a stop to any of it. Instead they walked to the kitchen and found a sulking Piotr at the kitchen table. Before him was a sheet of charred cookies.

          "What happened, mon ami?" Remy asked him.

          Piotr just sniffed, his lower lip jutting out to form a tearful pout. "John burnt my cookies," he confessed, his voice trembling. 

          "Er…I'm sorry to hear that."

          Piotr sighed and buried his face in the tablecloth, bawling his eyes out.

          Without a word, Remy steered Rogue out of the kitchen. 

          "What's wrong with him?" Rogue asked once the kitchen door was shut, muffling Piotr's heavy sobs.

          "Piotr takes pride in his cooking," Remy told her. 

          "Riiiight."

          "Come on. Let's go and let Piotr have his little cry," he suggested. "He'll get over it."

          By Five, neither Logan, nor Scott, nor Jean had turned up and the mayhem endured. By seven, the mighty Xavier realized that his house was on the verge of collapse and finally made a move to stop the students. By eight, Piotr was fine enough to join Kitty, Amara, and Jamie in one of the many Rec rooms to watch Mr. Bean. Since Mr. Bean and Piotr hardly even said a word, Piotr finally believed that he found a kindred spirit and was awed. By the time nine o'clock rolled around, the activities of the day took their toll on the students and many went to bed early while Remy got the remaining students to play a 'friendly' game of poker. Piotr still sat in the Rec room, eyes wide with amazement. By midnight, Rogue was sorely missing her boyfriend and decided to get him back the only way she knew how.

~*~*~*~

          "Fancy meeting you here, chere," a sultry purr murmured from the open doorway of the bathroom.

          Rogue smiled inwardly, her innards turning into sizzling goo, as she looked up and saw Remy standing in the door, hands braced against the sides. He was only wearing a pair of sleeping pants so she got a great view of his toned upper body. He grinned his roguish grin at her, making her blush and think that he should be on the cover of some steamy romance novel.

          A slender eyebrow arching, she quickly finished brushing her teeth. He had showed up just as she thought it would. But since she was acting like she was getting ready for bed, she was dressed in her pajamas. But now that her Cajun boyfriend showed up with a mischievous shimmer in his demonic eyes, she decided to continue her game.

          "Don't act so surprised, Remy," she told him, replacing her toothbrush behind the mirror. "This is a public bathroom and all."

          Remy smirked and sauntered on in, hips swinging a bit. Rogue blushed, thinking that his body was absolutely gorgeous in the soft light and seeing him shirtless was enough to make her breathless. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she let him pull her close. She had ditched her gloves and confining clothes again and she was so glad that she did. She settled her naked hands on Remy's chest, loving to feel his warmth and steely muscles as well as his pounding heart underneath her fingertips. She shivered when she felt him brush his fingers across her pale shoulders, his thumb under her chin forcing her head up with nonexistent coercion.

          "Has Remy ever told you how beautiful you skin is, chere?"

          Rogue smiled. "At least once a day."

          He shared her smile as he leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her neck, his goatee tickling her sensitive flesh. She closed her eyes and titled her head back, revealing more skin for Remy's wondering lips.

          "Never thought I'd be making out in a bathroom," she laughed gently, her voice a little husky. "Your room, my room, definitely. The linen closet, the laundry room on occasion but never a bathroom."

          "Well that's what you get from prancing by the Rec room with hardly anything on, chere," he replied. A brazen finger slithered under the thin strap of her barely there tank top. "What exactly do you call this?"

          Rogue smirked wantonly. Her plan was to lure him away from his obsession by wearing little to nothing. Since her skin was so longer a danger to anyone, she didn't need to be careful. And it had worked marvelously.

"It's shirt, Remy."

A hand brushed against her milk-white thigh until it reached her short boxers that hardly covered her bottom.

"This dis?"

She shrugged. "Shorts."

Remy scoffed. "If I catch Sam so much as looking your way again…" he threatened.

Rogue laughed, delighted at his show of possessiveness, and patted his chest to calm him down. "Do I sense some jealousy?"

"Hell yes."

"I'm just reveling in the fact that I don't have to worry about my exposed skin coming into contact with somebody," she said. "Now I can wear and do whatever I want. It's great!"

"That it be, chere," he agreed, eyes sweeping down to explore her generous figure. "Remy has no objections whatsoever. He just doesn't want to kick every x-boy's ass that looks your way. You make them drool. Mon dieu, yesterday! Just exactly were you and Kitty doing?"

Rogue smirked. "Just dancing."

A dark eyebrow cocked slightly. "Just dancing around in tiny bikinis?"

"Of course! We were trying on swimsuits for the summer…"

Remy cocked an eyebrow. "Summer is a long way away, chere."

She shrugged. "I wanted to get a good start. Not my fault a really good song came on the radio and we danced."

"With the door open so all the boys could take a look at you shaking your cute ass?" Remy asked, his hand snaking down to fondle her backside.

"Oh don't tell me you didn't enjoy the show," she laughed. "I saw you walk away kinda funny-like."

Catching what she implied, Gambit shot her a wicked smirk.

"Tell me," she purred, slowly stroking his chest, "why did you leave the show so early and let the others ogle us?"

"What do you think I did?" Gambit asked, the smirk creeping into his thick voice. "I went to find a dull object to gouge out my eyes."

Rogue smiled, brushing her lips over his skin teasingly. "Come on! Kitty and I weren't that bad!"

He glared at her. " 'Bad' in what sense, chere? Capering around in hardly anything in a room full of randy teenage boys is very evil. When Remy couldn't get the naughty thoughts out of his head, he opt to take a very long, very cold shower."

Rogue interest was peaked. "Naughty thoughts? Of me?"

Remy gave her a very dull look. "Of course, chere."

She smiled, pleased with herself. "Never had anyone sat they had naughty thoughts about me before. Makes me kinda what to congratulate myself."

He leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss against her mouth. "Congratulations on having every boy lust after you and make me wanna beat them all to a bloody pulp."

"Ooh, I love it when you get all possessive," Rogue gushed, burying herself deeper into his arms. "Makes me feel all girlie. Besides I don't care about the others. I don't do it for them."

Gambit smirked, warm desire glowing in his dark eyes. "Then who do you do it for, petite?"

Rogue leaned her head back so she could see his face and smiled. She shivered when she felt his fingertips move gently up and down her back, his heated touch burning her flesh through the fabric.

"Bloody hell! Get a room and shag your girlfriend somewhere else, mate!" An insulted Aussie complained from the doorway. "Don't really wanna see that before I go to sleep. Talk about nightmares!"

Rogue blushed warmly with embarrassment and quickly jumped away from Remy. Remy glared daggers at John and reached out to clasp his hand around Rogue's, who was sorely missing his touch. John quickly covered his eyes, shuddering.

"A room sounds good at the moment, non, chere?" Remy asked, leading her from the bathroom to the hallway. Passing John, he raised a hand and smacked him smartly on the head. "Thanks, mon ami."

John rubbed his head, frowning, and marched inside the bathroom. "Whatever. Just keep it down whatever you bloody do," he told them. "Some people like to sleep without all the moaning and groaning as background music. Piotr's snoring is enough for me."

"We'll be quiet," Rogue teased.

"Quiet as mice," Remy added, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a kiss on her shoulder.

John rolled his eyes and closed the bathroom door. Rogue grinned and let Remy lead her down the hall towards his room. 

"Where are we going?"

He threw a sly smirk over his shoulder. "My room."

"Don't you want to finish your poker game with the boys?"

"Believe it or not," he said, throwing open his door, "some things are more important than poker."

Rogue blushed and quickly glanced down the halls before slipping into the forbidden territory. Boys and girls had to stay out of each other's room after 9. Remy followed her and quietly shut the door, flipping the lock into place.

"I feel so bad!" She laughed at herself for being stupid. "Being in your room at night and all."

"You were in here last night, chere."

"I know. Still feels bad." She looked around the room, seeing the bed neatly made. Around the bed were still the neat piles of school books as well as motorcycle magazines. The same poster of New Orleans was up on the wall as well as one displaying a black and white beauty of a motorcycle that obviously made Remy weak in the knee. She smiled. "You and your motorcycles. Have you and Logan had a nice long talk about your obsession?"

"Of course, chere," Remy replied. He moved passed her to the closet, where he opened the door, stepped inside, and rummaged through it. That's when she saw something on his back that she never saw before.

"Just how many tattoos do you have, Cajun?" she asked, eyeing the black ink sprawled elegantly across his tan back. On one shoulder blade was a tattoo of a geisha. Even though her black hair was up in a formal bun, her kimono was open to show her ample bosom while her long legs were spread with one hand demurely guarding her womanhood. Rogue saw red just looking at it. The other tattoo was far less lewd. It was a card inflamed with fire.

Remy threw a smirk over his shoulder. "Just three, petite. Like?"

She moved closer to him and ran her fingers across the dark ink. "I like the card but the chick is just…scandalous!"

His chuckle was deep and rich and made her knees buckle. "Does it offend you, chere?"

Rogue shook her head, her fingertip tracing the geisha. "No. It's beautiful in it's own way. The details are remarkable." She leaned up to see over his shoulders. "What are you looking for?"

In response, Remy stepped out of the closet and held up a half-filled bottle. The liquid inside was a faint brown, almost yellow in the light. He smiled at her incredulity.

"That's not what I think it is, is it?"

"Oui, chere," he purred, his smile absolutely impish. "It is."

"That's not allowed here, Remy! If Logan finds it, he'll go ballistic!"

He smirked. "He ain't gonna find it. Remy hides it too good." He uncapped the bottle and offered it to her, tempting her to the bad side with his sinfully handsome grin. "Wanna try some? It be bourbon. The best kind too."  

Rogue found her disapproval short-lived. Smiling she joined Remy and took the bottle. "It getting harder to see you as a good boy, Cajun," she told him. "Why," she continued acting like an old-fashion Southern gentlewoman, "I do believe your trying to get me drunk just to have your wicked way with me."

"One little sip ain't gonna get you drunk, Scarlet," he replied, smiling.

Rogue glanced down at the bottle, the sweet smell of the liquor hitting her nose. Then she looked back at her boyfriend. "Cups?"

A look of childish confusion passed over his gorgeous face. "Cups?"

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Sorry. Big brawny men probably drink straight from the bottle."

"Damn straight, petite. Why dirty a glass?"

"True." She took a deep breath and lifted the cool bottle to her lips, hands wrapped tightly around the neck. The liquid poured into her mouth and she carefully swallowed, the liquor burning her throat as it went down. She winced, coughing violently as she felt the tear rise to sting her eyes. 

"It's strong," she wheezed, her throat on fire as she felt the liquid burn a warm hole in her stomach. 

Remy smiled at her. "Everyone says that after their first taste. It gets better, chere."

Curious to see if he was right, Rogue took a tiny sip. She nodded and swallowed. It didn't burn this time. The taste was still strong but also sweet and it appealed to her.

"It got better." She smiled and handed the bottle back to Remy. He took a deep draught before placing it in the closet and kicking the door shut. "How do you get it?" she asked, curious.

He just grinned at her. "Secret."

Rogue laughed and poked him in the ribs. "Whatever. You probably have a fake ID or something."

"Mon Dieu!" he exclaimed. "A fake ID is underneath a thief of Remy's skill."

"You steal it then?"

Remy shrugged and moved to his bed. "You can take the thief outta New Orleans but you can't take New Orleans outta the thief. I get my bourbon by any means I can, chere. Dearly love the poison." With a firm nod, he sat down and, leaning backwards on his palms, looked over at her a flashed an seductive smirk. "Unfortunately my method of getting it involves my sneaky little way."

She smiled at him, suddenly sheepish, and joined Remy. He was still reclining when she stood between his long legs, her hands shooting up to tousle his auburn locks. She adored the silky texture of it against her fingers. Remy sighed and closed his dark eyes, purring into her touch as his hands rose up to rest heavily on her hips. Then slowly her fingers moved to his eyes, his sharp cheekbones, down to the tip of his patrician nose, and settled lightly against his lips. Gently she ran her index finger across the slack, soft mouth. With her thumb she placed under his chin, she moved his face up and bent down to kiss him.

The kiss was soft and innocent, a gentle press of her lips against his as she cupped his face in her hands. When she pulled back, Gambit opened his eyes and looked up at her. One of his hands he grabbed hold of hers and brought them to his mouth where he kissed each palm reverently.

"Chere?"

"Hmm?"  
  


Looking down at her hands in his he said, "Mardi Gras is in a couple of weeks. With our spring break from school, I was wondering if you'd want to come down to New Orleans with me. I haven't got around to asking the professor yet but I think he'll give me leave. What do ya say, chere? Wanna go?"

She smiled and leaned down to kiss his brow. "You're so cute when you're nervous," she told him. "And yeah, I'd love to go with you, Remy."

He looked up, surprised. "Really?"

She nodded. "Sounds like a lot of fun. Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Us alone." She laughed. "Professor might have an adult tag along to keep us out of trouble though."

"No problem. New Orleans will be very busy and crowded. Remy will lose any supervision in no time."

"If the professor won't give you leave, I'll sweet talk him into letting us go."

He kissed her hands again. "Merci, chere."

She smiled and looked at the clock on his side table. It was almost one in the morning. She sighed. "I should go, Remy. You're probably tired."

"Don't go," he whispered. The intensity of his eyes melted her insides to liquid lust. "Stay with me, chere."

She blushed. By the look in his eyes, she could see that if she did, they would do more than sleep and that made her heart jump a bit. A deep feeling of longing clawed at her stomach. Controlled by the emotion, she bit her lower lip and felt herself give a faint nod.

"Okay," she said. "I'll stay."

The End (?)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: I took the enjoyable liberty of writing what else happens after that but it's a **lemon so I didn't post it on fanfiction because some people might not like that. But if you want to read it for yourself, be sure that I have your email so I can send you the original copy of the epilogue with the fruity scent of lemon! ^_^  **

Author's note: hah, I had so much fun writing this! I personally like the Mr. Bean part but maybe that's my sad attempt at humor. Thanks for reading and look out for the sequel! Loads of humor/romance/angst in the sequel. BTW yours truly makes a guest appearance in it! It not a big part but I'm in there! Anyway, thank you guys so much! It's been a great ride. Much LOVE!


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